


The Team

by Kessy



Series: SuperTwins [4]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, SuperTwins, Team Dynamics, What-If, claire is a little jealous of her little brother, what if superman had a daughter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-06-08 11:37:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 27,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6853048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kessy/pseuds/Kessy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Conner likes to talk about his new friends and routine with his family, and soon it becomes clear to Claire that her little brother is a wonderful hero, just like their father.</p><p>It also becomes clear to her that she wanted, maybe, to be part of that too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Independence Day

When they arrived at Mount Justice later that saturday, Conner felt a little nervous. The little talk he had with Claire before getting there was good and nice, but... He still didn't know what Batman was going to say about him.

Clark being there, though... It helped ease his nerves. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to him... right?

"Supey!" he heard someone shouting, and then there was a blur, and Kid Flash was in front of him, in civil clothes. "It's me, Kid Flash!"

"I figured it." he said a little dazed.

"We just got here too." he said, a little boy with raven hair appearing by his side, with sunglasses and a hoodie and a smirk on his lips.

Conner frowned.

"Robin?"

"Yep!" the boy confirmed. "Nice seeing you two together."

He pointed to Superman beside him, and Conner couldn't help but smile a little.

"Yeah." Kid Flash agreed.

"Someone put some sense into me when I got home on the fourth." Superman admitted.

Robin cackled.

"Oh, nice one."

Kid Flash seemed lost, and it took Conner a few seconds to understand. And then, to Clark: "He knows?!"

"Yep." Robin said, a wild grin on his face.

Suddenly he and Robin had a small internal joke that Kid Flash was not pleased about.

"Hey, what you guys are talking about?" he whined.

Robin only cackled again, and Conner couldn't help but giggle. Superman excused himself and went to Batman, who was at a holographic monitor a few feet away, talking with a few other adult heroes.

"Where's Aqualad?" Conner interrupted Kid's whine to ask.

"Aquaman was showing him around." answered Robin. "They should be back any minute. Now that everyone's here, Batman is probably gonna start talking very soon."

He nodded, and soon enough, Aquaman and Aqualad were there, and Batman started talking.

What he said wasn't what Conner expected at all, but he was really happy it was happening. It was amazing, wonderful, incredible. It made him feel independent and powerful, and honestly... he couldn't wait to tell Claire.

~.~

"And then, Martian Manhunter just appeared, with his niece, Miss Martian. She'll be on the team too." Conner was saying over a late dinner with Claire.

As soon as the team was formed and the rules were explained, the League had a meeting, from which Clark hadn't come yet, so when the others started going to their homes, he did it too, and Claire insisted they had pizza to celebrate the new Team and Conner's 'hero independence', as she was saying.

"Uh, so it's four boys and a girl. Nice." she hummed. "What's she like?"

Conner shrugged, not really sure of what to say.

"Nice, I think. She blushes a lot, even though she's green."

Claire laughed.

"So, Robin knows about you?" he asked, remembering the knowing look on Robin's face (even if Conner didn't saw his eyes) when Clark mentioned having someone putting sense into him.

Claire nodded, a devious smile on her lips.

"Oh, yeah. He figured it out, like, less then a month after he became Batman's protégé." she laughed. "It was funny. He and I went on several fun things together. I miss that little troll."

Conner smiled. "Is he the only one who knows?"

"From the partners, yes. Besides Robin, only Batman and Wonder Woman know about me." she shrugged again. "I think Martian Manhunter knows, but I never met him."

"Clark didn't mention that he knew."

Claire gave him a disappointed look.

"Dad probably doesn't know he knows." she said. "It's probably just a hunch of mine, given how many times J'onn had to made a mental link with the others. I just can't believe that he doesn't know."

"Oh. You think he knows, but didn't told dad that he knows."

"Yep."

"Makes sense." he shrugged, and went for the last slice of pizza.

"So, do you guys know what kind of missions you will be sent to?"

"No. The only thing Batman told us is that the missions are going to be covert. Like investigating stuff and stopping potential threats, I think. He said he would send us on a mission to test us very soon, but didn't said when."

Claire seemed to understand the logic.

"He wants you to be prepared at any minute. To make sure you'll can handle whatever situation appears in front of you." she sighed and got up with her empty plate. "It's a very Batman thing to do."

Conner laughed, picking up the other things and taking them to the kitchen after Claire.

"That's what Robin told us. He's pretty excited to be on a team. Kid Flash, too."

"I can only imagine..." she said, sighing and starting to clean the dishes.

Conner helped her, and after everything was clean, he noticed that Clark had not come home yet.

"Dad is taking too long, isn't it?" he mentioned.

Claire bit her lower lip. "Maybe... But League meetings are usually long. He should be here in a few hours, I think."

"So... we don't have anything to worry about?" Conner wanted to make sure. He wasn't around for enough time to know.

"Not for now." she smiled. "Don't worry, our dad is the world's greatest hero. He will be home soon."

Conner smiled back. "You're right."

Claire excused herself to her room, saying she was tired and needed some sleep. They said goodnight to each other, and Conner decided he didn't want to stay in the living room alone, so he turn down the lights and locked the front door, leaving the window unlocked so that their dad could enter; and then going to his room.

There, he decided it would be as a good time as ever to start unpacking the things Claire and his father had bought him earlier, so he turned his new laptop on, looking for pictures and tips on bedroom organization, and then, started putting his things on his places.

Clothes went into the wardrobe, the little things Claire thought it would be nice to have went to his desk or the shelves on the room. In a few minutes, he had everything out of their bags and the room looked... nice, he thought. Looked lived in, looked like someone cared enough to stay there.

He couldn't help the smile on his face when he realized he was finally feeling like this was his place.

With everything in place, he went for a shower, and when he got back on his room, was pleased to see that his dad was there. Looking at his shelves and bed and wardrobe... everything he had set up in place a few minutes ago.

"I see you unpacked." he smiled, still on his Superman outfit.

"Yeah." he shrugged. "Figured it would be the best thing to do, since I wasn't tired yet."

Clark smiled. "Still excited about the team?"

"Yes." he laughed, picking up a pair of boxers and shorts to sleep in. "Talked a lot with Claire about it."

"And what did she said?" his dad sat on his bed, and Conner wasn't shy - or rather, didn't have any shame on him - to change in front of him.

"She seemed happy for me, I think." he answered. "Altough, I think she was a little strange. I don't know if it is because she was tired like she said after dinner, or if something happened while we were out."

Clark frowned, long enough for Conner to see when he finished changing.

"What is it?" he asked his father.

"It's not commom for Claire to get tired. As a kryptonian, she gets her energy from the sun just like us. Even if she had a lot to do, she always has more energy than the most energetic human."

Conner frowned with that information.

"You think there's something wrong?"

Clark sighed. "I don't know. I'll try to talk to her tomorrow. For now, it's late. We should be all go to bed."

Conner nodded, and then Clark got up and went for a hug that Conner responded to immediately.

"Good night, son."

"Good night, dad." he answered as Clark got out, a smile on both their faces.


	2. Welcome to Happy Harbor

It was Friday, and they got together after lunch, waiting for a mission. Red Tornado had appeared, bearing the news that they 'would be tested soon enough', and that was it. It made them all pretty unhappy. Tornado told them to do some 'bonding activities', to know each other a little bit more.

They didn't have anything better to do. Megan (M'gann's Earth name, according to her) suggested a tour in the base, since she was living there. She was very thorough, going from the front door to the back door, giving all the detais she heard her Uncle saying to her. Robin said a few things too, which made them all remember that he was in this hero thing longer than everyone there. 

After the tour, they went to the kitchen. Megan had made some cookies, but they got burned because she was distracted. Wally (Kid Flash's name. They were on first-name basis now) didn't seemed to mind, as he ate them all, saying he had a 'weird metabolism'. Whatever this was.

After Wally's name revelation, they exchanged names. Aqualad's name (Kaldur'ahm, but call me Kaldur, he said) was kind of weird, being from Atlantis, and Robin couldn't give them his name.

"Batman forbid him to give anyone his name." Wally joked, teasing the boy with very dark shades. Conner wished he had x-ray vision, but he understood the reason behind the secret.

"He's just being careful." he murmured, which didn't passed by Robin, who gave him a smile.

"Exactly. Kid Mouth over here is just like his uncle: talks too much." he had a wicked grin on his lips, which made Conner smile back, glad he was part of the teasing. 

Wally complained, and they laughed at his expense. 

"What about you, Superboy?" Megan asked. "Do you have a name?"

Conner was surprised he hadn't shared his name with them yet. Looking at his friends – his first ones, the ones who freed him – he smiled.

"Yeah. I'm Conner."

Robin smiled widely, Wally and Kaldur doing the same.

"Who gave you the name?"

He bit his lip, not wanting to tell it was Claire, but he didn't want to lie either...

"Superman, duh." Robin said. "Who else?"

He looked at Robin and mouthed a 'thank you' when no one else was looking. Robin just smiled. It was nice that he had someone to trust with that secret. Someone who knew.

After they exchanged names, they got bored pretty fast. There was nothing on TV, and they didn't have a mission. About that, they asked Tornado again, and he said – again – that Batman would give them something soon enough.

Robin was getting impatient and mad. Kid Flash was just goofy, enjoying all the food the fridge had. Megan was anxious. Aqualad was just as calm as ever, altough disappointed that they weren't getting missions just yet. 

Conner was just trying to enjoy the little things, like Claire had suggested when he first said his frustration of not going out yet to her, three days after the team was formed. 

Soon Megan gave them an idea, and they went out on her bioship – a very nice and crazy thing – and started to have a tour of the place. Happy Harbor was a small city, but very alive in days like these. They could see the people walking around, doing their jobs, everyone trying to finish their errands so they could enjoy the weekend. It was nice to see.

And then they saw the fire. And heard the screams. And saw the smoke, coming from the public school. They went straight there, and got surprised with a small twister coming out of nowhere.

The first thing that passed their minds in that moment: well, there was the mission they were looking for.

~.~

"And then," Conner said, excitedly, during dinner. "M'gann just throws a rock above him. We didn't know how to react then."

"She killed the guy?" Claire was confused.

"Robin screamed that on Earth we didn't kill and such, and then she said we trusted her. So she lifted the rock and we saw the guy was actually another android. It wasn't a human controlling Mr. Twister."

"Wow. So she knew?"

"Yes. She couldn't read his mind, and then she remembered that she couldn't read Tornado's mind either. Because an android doesn't exactly have a mind. A brain, yes, but it's different. Or so she said."

"Nice. And after that?"

"Well... Tornado congratulated us, altough he did point out that we should've warned him when he got out."

"And Batman? Does he know about this?"

"He probably knows now. Robin was babbling about telling him everything when they went out tonight."

Claire laughed. "Knowing Robin, he won't stop talking about that." 

They laughed a little bit more.

Clark was late. Again. Conner was dining alone with Claire; like he had on three of the five days of the week. He came to learn this was a normal occurence. With the Daily Planet, the patrols he ran around Metropolis after his shift, and the Justice League, his father was a busy man. 

Conner thought at first it was him. And then Claire tranquilized him. She was used to her father's crazy schedule, so she explained that Clark would be there. Eventually. Which was kind of bad, because Conner wanted to tell him about Twister and the Team's first mission. Well, first outing.

At least he had his sister.

"You never told me how you and Robin met each other." he said when they finished cleaning the kitchen. "I never got to ask him either."

She smiled, and they got to sit on the couch when she started the story.

"Well... You know Batman is my godfather, right?" 

"I think your dad mentioned it once..."

She smirked. "I was already around when dad met him. They were on the early stages of their friendship, very far from forming the League. Dad didn't knew who Batman was at the time. Batman was trying to find out who dad was, and being the World's Greatest Detective, of course he did." 

"What did dad do?"

"Well... Bats showed up here one day, when dad got back from patrol. I was sleeping, it was late. I was about four. Dad got home and Batman was waiting for him in the living room. They talked, and dad was mad saying Batman had no right and such, and Batman was stoic as ever. You think he's bad now? You haven't met him before Robin." she smiled. "Anyway, I woke up with the voices and went straight there. I almost didn't see Batman, he was very close to the curtains, the shadows were making it hard for me to see him. But when I got there and called for dad, the talking stopped. Only after I realized that Batman was surprised. Very surprised. Dad convinced me to go to my room after a while, even if I wasn't afraid of Batman."

"You weren't?" Conner was surprised.

"No." she shrugged. "I figured if I had to be scared, dad wouldn't let him stay on the house. So if he was there..."

"Oh, I see. You trusted dad's judgement of the situation." he smiled.

"Exactly. Well, dad convinced me to go to my room, and a few minutes later, he showed up and tucked me in. The next day he said who the guy on a bat costume was. After seeing me, Batman realized that dad couldn't be bad. He saw the way dad treated me and gave dad the benefit of the doubt. They ended up teaming up against a few villains some times, and their friendship evolved. When I was 6, they were very good friends, and I started to play with the fact that he should be my godfather. He never refused, but since I'm already christened... It's only by heart."

"I see."

"So, when he adopted Robin, I met him. I used to go a lot to his place before. But then I grew up, started a few more activities here. I haven't seen them in a while."

"Wait... Batman adopted Robin?" that was new.

"Well... Kinda. Robin's parents died, Batman took him in. He's his guardian. But I think he'll adopt him officially sometime. They already are like father and son, even if they don't call themselves that."

"It's... kind of hard to imagine."

"Batman as a dad?"

"Yes."

Claire laughed.

"Everyone thinks that. But he's actually a pretty decent father. Not very good at showing emotions, true. But he's very protective and caring. On his own way. He loves Robin as if he was his own."

Conner nodded, figuring he would start to see Batman with a whole new light now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for today. What did you think?
> 
> As usual, tell me if I got anything wrong with the english. So I can fix it and improve. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! And don't forget to review! xo


	3. Schooled - part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this ended up being a two-part chapter. Part 2 should be up soon, I hope. Enjoy!

A few weeks passed, and with them, came the Team's first real mission. Deployed by Batman and everything, where they had to figure it out what was happening on as island far away (or maybe not). It was supposed to be totally covert, but they ended up blowing their cover and had to put the bad guys down.

Of course, that earned them a very big scolding by Batman, but in the end, he congratulated them for a job well done. It made Conner realized Batman was teaching them how to work. It was a somewhat twisted way, but it was working.

After he got home, Clark was there, and they ate two large pizzas to celebrate. What was weird, however, was that Claire wasn't there. When Conner asked, Clark made a very tired face that he didn't understand.

"Claire is... On a field trip, so to speak."

Conner frowned.

"She went with a few friends to a little trip to meet one of the colleges she wants to apply to. They should be back tomorrow."

"I... didn't know that." 

"She only told me yesterday, before going there. Since you were already at the Mountain getting debriefed on your mission..." Clark sighed. "I get the feeling she's not really handling this whole Team of yours well."

"Why?" Conner asked, suddenly feeling bad.

"Honestly, I don't know. But when she talked about that trip on the verge of it, I got the feeling she might not be exactly happy about it."

"I don't understand. She told me she didn't want to be a super hero. She wants to be a doctor." he repeated.

"That's what she keeps telling me." Clark agreed. "But I'm not sure anymore if it is what she really wants. And maybe she doensn't know either, that's why she's being awkward about it."

They kept the silence for a while, thinking about Claire, and then Clark got up. 

"Well, whatever it is, I'll talk to her when she gets home tomorrow." he started cleaning up the table, and Conner helped. 

They didn't talked about Claire anymore that night, but Conner went to sleep with his sister in mind. What was going on with her?

~.~

Conner never knew what Clark and Claire talked exactly, because the next day, he was back at Mount Justice to train with Black Canary. It was going to be the first day of training since he got out of Cadmus’ labs. He was very excited about this. Clark also had promised to show up so he could watch, and he was a little eager to show his father what he could do with the powers he had.

Canary was showing them basic moves, "to be sure they knew what they were doing", she said. They worked on their punches, evasive maneuvers and how to block and fall. Basic things that Conner realized he knew from Cadmus’ education from very early in his life.

They were seeing Canary teach them how to beat a stronger enemy, using their strength against them, when the zeta tubes announced the arrival Conner had been waiting for.

Recognized: Superman; zero, one. 

They automatically stopped the training to see the hero walking in with a small smile on his face.

“Oh, please... Don’t stop for me. I just came to watch.” He said, earning a smile from the team, Conner’s being the biggest of them.

“You heard the big guy.” Canary said, with a smile of her own. “Back to work!”

And that’s what they did. 

~.~

"So, what do you think?" Conner asked his father, as soon as they got out in the zeta tube next to their place in Metropolis. 

"Well, your team still needs a lot of training to work together. But that's understandable, you never worked on a team before, and it takes some time to get used to it."

"To be fair, I never worked alone either." Conner said, earning a smile from his dad. 

"Well, it will probably be easier for you then." they got into the apartment building and in the elevator before Clark talked again. "As for your abilities..."

"Yes...?"

"You seem to focus too much on your strength." he said, opening the door.

Conner immediately smelled something very good coming from the oven, which could only mean Claire was back home.

"Well... It's what I have to work with." he said, shrugging.

"Even if your only power was brute strength, there are other ways to work with it. Besides, you need to be careful. Our strength is good to enemies stronger than most. But most of the times, it's too much, and if we're not careful with the amount of power we use, we can hurt someone or demolish something by accident."

Conner frowned, figuring it must be true, since his father was telling him with a soothing voice and a smile on his lips.

"Seeing how we're talking about power... You need to work on your landings, too, Conner."

"My landings?"

"Robin mentioned to Batman... that mentioned not so subtly to me earlier... that your landing at Santa Prisca nearly caused a sismic event. I tought they might be exaggerating, but after seeing you landing three times on training today, I think they might've been right."

"I..." Conner suddenly was frustrated. "I don't know how to land any other way."

"I figured it." Clark smiled more brightly, making Conner confused. "That's why I tought we could benefit from my day off at the Planet today."

"Oh... That's why you showed up there?"

Clark laughed. "Yeah. Turned off my phone so no one there could reach me. Did some League things, and now I'm about to have a very good lunch with my kids. Right, Claire?"

"Almost done!" she answered from the kitchen. "Hi Con!"

"Hi... So, after lunch?"

Clark smiled, his eyes shining. "You'll see."

~.~

After lunch – a very good spaguetti with meat balls – Clark and Conner helped Claire clean the kitchen. Well... they basically threw her out to have her shower (since she didn't when she got home earlier from the trip), and cleaned up the kitchen by themselves.

By the time everything was clean – including Conner's big sister – they all sat at the couch while Clark excused himself and went flying through the window. An emergency nearby, Conner was glad he could hear.

"So... how was your trip?" Conner asked.

He wasn't happy to see that Claire's light expression turned grim.

"It was nice."

"It doesn't look like it." 

She sighed. "Well... First, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you anything. Dad said you were worried."

"Well, when my sister just disappears... Of course I'll get worried. Isn't that normal?" 

She smiled, knowing there was no sarcasm on the question. He honestly didn't know.

"It's completely normal. I'm sorry."

"Okay... Where did you go?"

"Oklahoma." she sighed. "It was a waste of time, but my friends wanted to go."

"Where did you wanted to go?"

She smiled.

"New York. Boston. I want to apply to Harvard or Columbia, but it would be a much longer trip. Which we can't afford right now. Maybe I'll ask dad to fly me over sometime. I still have a year of high school to go through, anyway." 

Conner didn't know how to respond to that, so he just kept quiet. Fortunately, Superman came flying through the window a few seconds after. 

"Ugh, dad, you smell like fire." Claire whined.

"Well... It was a big fire." he said. "I'll be right back."

He went to shower, and Claire turned on the tv and they watched the news for a while, their minds a little away from the world. And then, Clark was back – with a new and clean Superman suit on. 

Conner frowned. "Why did you put another suit on?"

"Because we're getting out." he smiled. "Come on, we're gonna work on your landings."

He had to blink twice at that. And then, "You gonna train me?"

Clark smiled. "Of course. It just took me that long to actually know what you need. But I'll try to make some time at least weekly so we can train together." 

Conner smiled brightly, and then got up, excited. 

Claire's voice took him out of his excitement, though. "Have fun, you two."

He looked at her and saw that she didn't had taken her eyes of the tv. Clark noticed too, so he decided to do something about it.

"You wanna come too, sweetheart? I hate the idea of leaving you alone on my day off." he said, but Conner could see it wasn't the only reason.

Claire looked surprised. "What, to train or just watch?"

"Whatever you want to do." Clark assured.

She blinked a few more times, having trouble processing the invitation, Conner could see. But then, she smiled brightly and hugged her dad, fiercely.

"I will love to!" she squealed, making both Clark and Conner laugh. "I'll be back in one sec, let me change first."

And she run off to her bedroom. 

"I hope you don't mind." Clark said to him.

"Of course not." Conner assured while turning off the tv. "It's gonna be fun."

Clark smiled, and Claire was back on gym clothes, a big smile on her lips. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go, then." Clark was a blur, locking the doors and windows, with the exception of the window at the living room. "Now, both of you, by my side."

They did as they were told, and Clark hugged them, holding them in place, one in each side of the hero.

"Ready?"

"Yes, dad. Come on!" Claire was excited like Conner never saw her before, making him giggle a little.

"Ok, ok. Hold on tight."

And then he was off the ground, taking his two kids on each side of him, going fast and high, to somewhere Conner didn't really mind asking, as long as he was with them. With his family.


	4. Schooled - Part 2

They ended up on a very deserted part of Kansas. Or so was what Clark told them. Claire didn't seem to mind where they were, like Conner. They just looked at their father in expectation. Clark smiled.

"You both seem awfully excited for this."

"Of course, dad." Claire said. "You never took me to train before."

Clark seemed unsure of what to say next, and things got a little awkward. Conner decided to clear the air.

"So, you said you were going to help me with my landings…"

Clark got out of his unsure state, and looked at him almost grateful. "Yes. It's a good way to start. First, you need to jump as high as you can, and I'll just watch and point what you need to do to keep it subtler, okay?"

Conner nodded, getting himself in a better position to jump.

"Can I do that too?"

"Sure, sweetie."

She smiled and mimicked Conner's position. Clark smiled.

"On three… One, two, three!"

They jumped. Conner put all the power he could muster into that jump, going only up, not taking any directions. He felt more than saw Claire going up with him, as high as he could, which surprised him. Claire didn't have any training, yet she seemed to be just as powerful as him. Genetics, he supposed.

He didn't do anything different when he landed, only slightly bending his knees so he could have more balance. Clark was looking at both of them in a pensive way.

"Not bad, Claire. But your landing is as rough as Conner's. We're going to work on that." He smiled to them. "The bending of your knees is a nice choice, Con, but there are other ways to land so you don't put much effort into them. Believe it or not, the wrong way can make you sore after a battle."

"Even with our invulnerability?" Claire asked for him.

"Yes, even with the invulnerability. I learned that the hard way." He grimaced. "Now, let's try it again. This time, you both try to put your weight into your toes, not so much on the whole feet. Can you do that?"

"We can try." Conner said, shrugging.

"All right, let's do it. On the count of three… One, two, three!"

They jumped again, but the landing ended up being exactly like the first. Clark told them not to get frustrated that easily. Their powers, sometimes, took a little training to get used to in the right way.

So they kept doing it. Jumping as high as they could and landing, each time differently, applying their father's advice, trying to see the best way. A way they could do it and still maintain their cover, in Conner's case.

Claire was a fast learner, which made Conner a little frustrated and he ended up going back to square one. She smiled for him, sympathetically, but he didn't want her sympathy. He wanted to be like her, and he knew he couldn't.

"Ok, I think it's time for a little break. You both wait here, I'll be back in two minutes." Clark said, flying away before any of them could think of something to say.

"Uh. I wonder if he's going to abandon us." Claire said.

"What?" Conner's eyebrows shot up, his eyes wide.

Claire noticed his expression and corrected herself quickly. "I'm just joking. I'm sure he just went somewhere to save someone. He'll be back soon."

"Oh." Conner blinked, and then sighed, sitting on a big stone nearby.

"You seem awfully quiet." Claire said. "Not that you're really a talker…"

"I'm just…" he didn't know how to say it in a light way, so he decided for the blunt truth. "I wish I could learn fast like you. You already improved a lot since we got here, and you weren't even coming in the first place!"

He saw how Claire's eyes widened in surprise, and looked away to avoid seeing if he had hurt her with his words. He didn't want to know.

But then, Claire was sitting beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Con, everyone has a different pace to learn new things. The fact that we're half kryptonians doesn't change that." She chuckled a little. "I may have been training on my own for a while, that's why I learned this landing thing a little faster. I was training on my own."

Conner looked at her now.

"Dad knows?"

She shook her head. "He doesn't even dream about it. And please, let it be our little secret, ok?"

He bit his lip, but nodded.

"Let's try it again, shall we? Dad's taking a little bit longer than he said he would." She frowned.

"Ok…"

They got up, and Claire helped him with more landings. They were on the same routine, doing things over and over again, and Conner was starting to know his strength a bit more, and how to do what he needed to do.

When he finally made the perfect landing, something like two hours later, Claire was there, clapping and cheering, and he had a big smile on his lips.

"I knew you could do it!" she said, hugging him fiercely. He returned the hug.

"Thanks."

She let him go, and then frowned. "I just… I think dad missed the best part of your training."

Conner noticed the sun was starting to fall, some stars already visible to human eyes in the sky.

"Is he okay?"

Claire didn't know.

They decided to wait. He said he was coming back, and he never broke his promises if he could avoid it, Claire said. So they sat in the rock they talked earlier and talked a little more. About the things Conner wanted to learn. About Claire solo-training, and what she had learned so far (nothing much, she said she started training barely a month ago). Another hour passed, and Clark was nowhere to be seen.

"Ok, I'm officially worried now." Claire said, picking up her phone from her top, right between her cleavage. Conner blinked, and she smiled sheepishly. "It was the only place I had to put it."

He didn't answer.

She unlocked the screen, making sure she had service before hitting a few buttons and putting the phone on speaker, so they both could hear.

" _Hello. You called Clark Kent, from the Daily Planet. I'm sorry but now I can't answer. Please leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can, if needed be._ "

The bip the followed made Claire frown. She hit a few more buttons, calling again. The call was never completed, and then she bit her lip.

"His phone in out of service, and I can't reach his comm. link from the League." She looked at him. "And he never turns his comm link off."

"Something must've happened." Conner concluded. "But what?"

"I don't…"

Her answer was interrupted by a phone call. Conner looked at the screen just as Claire pressed the button to answer the call. The caller ID had Unknown on it.

"Hello?"

" _Claire?_ "

"B?" She seemed surprised. "Where's dad?"

Conner frowned. ' _B_ ' sighed.

" _We're in the Watchtower. We just got back from a big fight. Your father's recovering his energies, but he can't go pick you up yet. I'm tracking your location so I can send the jet in, so stay in line for a few more seconds, okay?_ "

"Ok…" Claire said, while Conner was trying to remember whose voice was it at the phone. He knew that voice. "Is he okay? Are _you_?"

" _He's fine. I only have a couple of bruises._ " Claire scoffed at that, and the voice laughed. Which was, somehow, weird. " _Ok, a couple broken ribs and a_ lot _of bruises. I've had worse._ "

"Yeah, I figured." She sighed. "I was worried. I tried the number you gave me for the comms but couldn't reach it."

" _Some comms were damaged in the battle. Your father lost his._ " The voice became a little distant, and then. " _Ok, I have your location. Stay there, the jet will be there for you in a couple minutes._ "

"Ok, B. Thanks."

" _You're welcome. Take care._ "

"You too."

He hung up, and Conner saw Claire drew a breath of relief.

"Who was it?"

"You didn't recognized the voice?"

"No…"

She smiled. "Well, I guess he was talking like himself, so it would be hard to recognize if you don't know him." She chuckled. "It was Batman."

Conner's eyes almost got out of his eye sockets. " _Batman?!_ "

"Yep." Claire's eyes were shining with mischief.

"But… he _laughed_."

Claire laughed too, and then: "Yeah, he does that sometimes, although it is rare."

Conner was so surprised he almost didn't saw the black jet coming their way. But his sister did, so she got up and called him.

"Come, the jet is here."

He turned to see nothing less of the _Batwing_ hovering their way, and then landing very close to them. The door on the back opened, and then… Robin came, civil clothes and sunglasses, a big mischievous smile on his lips.

"Did anyone called for a _Bat-taxi_?" He asked.

Claire laughed and ran for him, hugging him very tight, and Conner could see the smile and the force Robin put in hugging her back.

"Robbie!" she sang. "It's so good to see you that I ain't even gonna tell B about the Bat-taxi."

He cackled. "Thanks. It's good to see you too, Claire." And then, "Hey Conner."

"Hey Robin." He smiled. "You driving?"

"Autopilot." He whined. "Bats didn't taught me how to drive the Batwing yet. Although I do know a few commands…"

Claire laughed. "I'm sure you'll learn soon enough. Now let's go home, I'm starving!"

She entered the jet, and Robin and Conner followed her, smiling along the way.

~.~

Clark got home late that day. He smiled tiredly to his children when he got in the kitchen and saw them eating a pizza. They both hugged him and Claire asked profusely if he was okay, who was it, and who the hell thought that could hurt Superman and she would give them some words, and please dad, you sure you're okay?

Conner was worried, too, Clark could see, but he was more quiet than Claire on his worry. After he reassured his children that he was fine, he ate with them, telling them the tale of the android Amazo and how it took a lot of Leaguers and four hours to stop him. Plus, how he was taken at the Watchtower to sunbathe, because he was so weak he couldn't even fly himself up. Claire made him shower and rest after dinner, and by rest she meant a very nice and cozy evening watching movies with them. He complied, if only because he was sorry Amazo had took the time he had with them, and tomorrow he was coming back to work, which meant another day of his crazy schedule as a full-time reporter/superhero.

But it was okay, Clark thought, as he saw Conner and Claire falling asleep on each side of him, their heads falling to his shoulders. As long as he came back home, too see and hug his children, it was okay.

~.~

The next mission was to make sure Amazo's parts got into Star Labs safely, as Conner figured it out the day after. It wasn't so easy as they thought, and they did have some trouble with it, but eventually, they made it. Conner saw improvement on his fighting after the training he had with Claire and Superman, and was complimented by Black Canary (and Batman, if his nod was anything to go by) after. Also, he figured something about himself, too.

He really, really _hated_ monkeys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely unbetaed so sorry for the mistakes. Tell me about them so I can fix it, please. :)
> 
> I love, love this chapter. It's the beggining of a routine that'll make Con and Clark a lot more family, and also... *giggles* Robin, of course. *giggles like a fangirl*
> 
> Tell me: which episodes from YJ season 1 you want to see on this story? Feel free to give some ideas too. I know where I want to take this story, but I love talking theories!
> 
> So, leave your comment and hopefully I'll see you soon. Or as soon as I can. Whichever comes first. ;)


	5. Infiltrator

Okay, so maybe telling Claire about the beach day with his team was a little reckless. It was just motive for her to drag him to a shopping mall and make it a party out of it. Conner didn't mind Claire's enthusiasm about it, but after five hours, it ought to be tiring.

"Claire, I don't think I need all of these just for a beach day." He complained, after she shoved to him a few more bathing shorts.

"But… It's good to have a few spares."

"They won't rip me out of my shorts, Claire." He smiled for her. "And we're not going far. We're taking the beach behind the Mountain, so it's going to be only us."

She giggled.

"Perks of having a whole freaking mountain with private beach, I guess."

"Yes." He smiled. "So, can we stop?"

She made a face.

"I just wanted to help…"

"And you did." He assured. "Thank you. I just don't need anything else."

Conner saw that his sister was very upset that she didn't have any more reason to stay, so he decided for a second option.

"We can stop by the food court and grab something. And maybe a movie, after?" he said. "We don't have to go home now, do we?"

She perked up at the suggestion, and smiled.

"No. Dad's not going to be around anyway, and I really don't want to cook tonight…"

"All the more reason to go." Conner decided, putting the bathing shorts he had on his arms on the nearest rack. "Let's go. I'm starving."

She laughed and followed him out of the store, going straight into the food court with him right beside her.

~.~

Beach day was surprisingly fun. Conner never had actually went into one, so he didn't know much about what to expect. But they played in the sand – Conner was surprised to notice that he did like being 'buried' in the beach sand – and they also played a little volleyball; and of course, the sea water was warm and nice to go swimming into.

They spent a very nice day talking and getting to know each other in a way they didn't have the time for before. Well, except for Wally, because for some reason, his school started earlier that year and he couldn't just ditch his first day to go to the beach (although he had tried to reason with them to do just that).

Soon, though, when the sun was starting to fall in the horizon, Red Tornado came to the beach and called them back. He told them to go get showered and dressed, because one of the Leaguers was coming to talk to them about something important.

After they changed, they went straight into the main hall, finding Batman, Green Arrow, and a girl in a green suit with a bow waiting for them.

"Team…" started Green Arrow. "This is Artemis. My… new protégé."

Artemis did a little wave at them. Conner found it odd that her heartbeat was so fast, like she was so nervous, and at the same time, she held a position that told everyone in the room how confident she was. It didn't fit. But Conner figured she would try to hide her emotions. She seemed almost wary of them.

"She's going to be your new team mate." Said Batman.

"What about Red Arrow?" Robin asked to Green Arrow. "Does he know you have a new protégé?"

"I'm not sure." The green clad hero admitted. "I haven't talked to him in a while."

"Red Arrow didn't want to get into the Team," Batman reminded them. "But an archer is a good asset. And Artemis is a good one."

That was everything Robin needed to stay quiet. Batman opened his mouth to speak again when they heart the unmistakable sound of the zeta tubes activating, the monotone robotic voice following.

**Recognized: Kid Flash, b-zero-three.**

"The Wall-man is here! Now let's get this party star-" Wally came bursting through the zeta tubes with a multitude of party accessories, interrupting himself just after coming in, falling to the ground with everything in his hands.

Conner was so shocked he couldn't even laugh. Robin, on the other side of the small circle they were in, giggled quietly behind his hand. All the others just looked at Wally, who was now looking at them with a completely mortified look.

"…-ted." He finished his thought, although Conner imagined it was pointless.

And then, Artemis decided to tease him.

And Conner _knew_ the next few hours were going to be a little hell when Wally got up to tease her back.

~.~

Of course Conner was right. Wally and Artemis seemed to have hated each other at first sight. Artemis also made him a little… uncomfortable, if he was being honest. He was kind of happy when Aqualad made him and Robin go after the misterious' fog next target, and he sighed a little too happily as soon as he got into the bioship.

Robin giggled.

"Artemis is a little intense, huh?"

"Yeah… It's a little unsettling." He admitted.

Robin started typing at his wrist computer while he talked.

"We're gonna get used to it. We have to, she's on the team now."

Conner nodded and then fell into an easy silence for a few moments, while Robin typed and his screen lit up with several different info. He cut through the silence soon enough, though.

"So, how are things with your big sister?"

Conner smiled. "It's good. She dragged me into a shopping trip yesterday, to buy stuff for the beach. You should have seen how many items she made me try it on."

Robin cackled. "I can imagine. She loves this kind of stuff."

"Yeah. We spent the whole afternoon at the mall. It was nice, though. Spending time with her is always good, even if she's a little off."

Robin frowned.

"Off? How so?"

Conner shrugged. "I don't know. She seems weird sometimes. Especially when I talk about the team, I guess."

"What, you think she's jealous?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I think she wants to be a part of the team, too. You know, Clark never let her go out as his daughter, and now we're training together… She goes sometimes, and I can see she really wants to use what she's learned, but she can't do that being Claire Kent."

"She has to be Supergirl." Robin nodded. "I get it. Did you talked to her about it?"

"I'm trying to figure it out how to."

"Well… If you need help with that talk, just let me know." He said, and then stretched to give him a card.

It was a simple card, with just a number on it.

"It's my Robin phone," he smiled. "call any time you need. I keep with me at all times."

"Sure… Thanks, Robin."

"You're welcome."

Their talk was cut off abruptly with a noisy beep coming from Robin's computer, and then they were getting into their destiny.

"Holy crap…" Robin breathed out with the vision that greeted them: Star Labs, crumbling completely.

They were too late.

~.~

After they stopped the impending murder of Dra Roquette, and her infiltrating fog, Conner was a little exhausted. As soon as Batman told them they could go, he said his goodbyes, and went straight to the zeta tubes.

He got home very, very late. The house was quiet, the slow heartbeat down the hall saying that his sister was fast asleep.

His father, tough, was in the living room, the tv was on, and he was sitting on the couch almost laying down. When he saw him, he smiled, turning off the tv and getting up to hug him.

A warm and very good feeling settled inside Conner at that, and despite his tiredness, he sighed in contempt.

"How was the mission?"

"Everything turned out okay in the end." He shrugged. "We couldn't stop the fog from destroying Star Labs, though. But at least the virus the doctor made worked, so the Shadows won't use the data they stole."

Clark nodded. "Good. The Shadows have way too much power as it is. They don't need more."

He nodded. "What you're doing up?"

His father smiled fondly to him.

"Waiting for you. Couldn't sleep until I knew you were okay."

He didn't have an answer for that. It was a little more than a month since he woke up at Cadmus, since he came to live with his father, for all purposes, and the warmth that irradiated from Clark when he talked at him like that didn't cease to amaze him.

"I'm okay." He assured. "Just a little tired, I guess."

"Good. Now come on, you need a shower and then you can rest up. Good thing school didn't started yet."

He giggled, following Clark through the hall to his bedroom.

"By the way… We need to talk about putting you to school. But that can wait until tomorrow." Clark said.

"Ok."

"Good night, son."

Clark hugged him and gave him a little kiss on his temple, and Conner didn't know how to react except for leaning into the touch, as he whispered back.

"Good night, dad."

At least he knew that with this reception, he was going to sleep very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally just finished writing this, so it's unbetaed and I have no energy left to do that. So tell me (please) if you see any mistakes, so I can fix it.
> 
> Thanks for the support and for reading. Don't forget to review.
> 
> I'll be back as soon as I can. xo


	6. Bereft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't follow the series, there's a new work called 'Meeting the Kents', that takes place between chapter 5 and this one. Go read it! (Pretty please) It is not necessary to keep reading this, but it's nice! (I promise, only fluff). And I'm sorry it took me so long to update here. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope I did this chapter justice. 'Bereft' is one of my favorite episodes in season one, and was a challenge to write from Conner's POV. Enjoy!

His head hurt. So much he couldn’t think. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know _who_ he was. All he had was one feeling: the instinctual urge for survival.

He drifted along the sand, shouting to anyone who crossed his path, fighting anyone who dared to threaten him, in the hopes of shooing them away, far away from him. He needed cover, he needed to hide and _survive,_ but suddenly there were ropes and a lot of people, and no matter how much force he put into it, he could not get free. Then, suddenly, his mind went blank.

And when he opened his eyes, it was to pain, deep and profound, going through his muscles and bones, like electrical cords cutting open his being. He heard screaming, and the feeling of muscles being ripped apart in his throat told him the scream was coming from him. Hid mind was foggy, and he tried to get free from the things binding him to this strange vertical table, but nothing he did worked, and every time he tried, the pain increased.

He felt, however, something reach him. He didn’t know what it was, but there was someone, some _thing_ there with him. Suffering too… And somehow, that comforted him.

He felt pain for what it felt like most of his life, since he couldn’t remember anything before the need for survival arose. And then, the pain stopped. For a moment, he could feel his limbs again, and when he opened his eyes… things were floating around him and there was… someone, right there… He couldn’t see it, and then he blinked and he could see the silhouette of her body warmth. It looked like a girl, standing protectively in front of him and… that guy.

He knew, somehow, that guy was responsible for all of this. His rage felt like fuel burning, and then a big sphere thing came running towards him, breaking his chains and setting him free. Finally. He jumped into the guy, who was staring at nothing – the girl, he supposed – very intently. Something stopped him and he was knocked back, close to the girl. And then… A simple touch brought him – or rather, his mind – into a different sight. And he could finally see her.

“You’re here!” The girl was _green_ and smiled widely at him. They were floating into the air, and he couldn’t understand what was happening.

“You sound so relieved!” The creepy guy was there too, laughing at them. “Is that mindless creature supposed to save your mind?”

“No.” She answered, and then her hands were touching each side of his face. “I save his.”

And then his mind flooded with images, thoughts, _memories_ that filled his being and made everything make sense. Cadmus… The genomorphs… Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash helping him out of what would have been a life of slavery through the hands of evil scientists. Batman, Superman rejecting him… Superman _accepting_ him, taking him home to meet his _daughter_ – his twin sister – and the feeling of belonging that surfaced when he got his names, when he met his grandparents, the Kents, and then the missions he went on with his Team… and M’gann… Sweet M’gann who seemed to blush every time he got into the room she was. M’gann who seemed to be as lost about Earth costumes as he was sometimes. M’gann who was eager to please and easy to be around with. M’gann… Who was giving him back his memories.

The flood stopped and he felt so many things at once that he couldn’t even begin to understand. But right now, he had other priorities, so he settled to thank her by giving a little incentive to win:

“Kick his butt.”

~.~

It was a long flight back to the USA. They were all exhausted, but at least knew they had done a good job with what they had. The baddies had been stopped, and they saved Sphere from his fate at the hands of Psimon and Queen Bee.

As soon as they were in the bioship and up in the sky, Robin sent a message to Batman, who opened a channel to the bioship radio not even a minute later.

“Is everyone alright?” Batman’s stoic face appeared in the screen, and despite the lack of emotion in his voice and expression, Conner knew he was relieved to see them.

“Yeah. We’re all in one piece.” Robin answered, a small smile in his lips. “We’re on our way to the Cave. ETA is three hours.”

“Anyone in need of medical assistance?” he asked.

“I don’t think so.” Robin said, looking around. “We’re just really tired.”

Batman just stared for a moment, and then nodded, almost imperceptibly. “See you soon, then.”

The screen went black again, and Robin sighed. “He’ll want a full detailed report when we get there. And I don’t think he’s going to be pleased with Psimon erasing our memories… Or with the fact that we’re bringing the sphere with us.”

That ignited a protective spark in Conner. “But Sphere was being tortured. It was the victim!”

“I know that. But Bats is paranoid. He may accept it in the Cave, but he will probably investigate Sphere’s existence deep.” He sighed again. “Anyway, I don’t want to think about it now. I need a nap before dealing with Batman…”

He got comfortable in his seat, and his heartbeat told Conner he had fallen asleep. He was comfortable in his seat too, Sphere by his side, but he couldn’t sleep now. He was too overwhelmed with all the memories from a little more than two months that were all of his life.

He glanced at the main seat, where M’gann sat, her hands on the controls, although he was pretty sure the ship was on autopilot. She seemed lost in thoughts, and despite the fact he wanted to… talk to her, he gave her some space. There would be time for that later. Hopefully.

When they arrived at the Cave, all their mentors were there, including Black Canary and Red Tornado. They exited the bioship slowly, and when Sphere got out too, Conner could see the startled stare of the heroes. Well, Batman looked suspicious, but he thought that was normal.

“Are you alright, son?” Suddenly Superman was in front of him, analyzing him and frowning at his lack of a shirt.

“Yeah… Just really tired.” He answered truthfully. He may be half kryptonian, but he was exhausted. Perhaps not physically speaking, not entirely, but mentally. His mind had been through a ride bigger than anything in the last 36 hours. He needed some time to recover.

“We’re going home soon.” His father said, accepting his answer. “Someone is worried sick about you. I barely could contain her from coming with me now.”

It took him a moment to realize that his father had spoken that in a very low tone, meant only for him. He smiled.

“I can only imagine…”

He noticed the other mentors were all on their protégés too, talking quietly, making sure they were okay. He saw Batman give a little squeeze on Robin’s shoulder, and he remembered when Claire said they were almost like father and son, and how deeply Batman cared about his Robin. He smiled a little at the small display of affection. And then, Batman turned to the big group, speaking a little louder.

“You can all benefit from a good night of sleep. Go to your homes and rest. I’ll debrief you all tomorrow afternoon.” He said, turning to leave, Robin hot on his heels.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, and then Superman ushered his son to go too. Conner stopped only a moment to thank M’gann properly, hugging her. She looked surprised.

“Thanks.” He said quietly.

“You’re welcome…” She answered, blushing strongly. “See you tomorrow, Conner.”

“See you.”

He walked to the zeta tubes, Sphere by his side, and then: “You need to stay here. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Somehow, Conner knew the sphere wasn’t very happy about this.

“I promise.” He said. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

It made a surprisingly unhappy sound, but went to a little corner of the room and stayed there. Conner smiled slightly, and turned to see his father looking very surprised at him.

“Come on, before Claire comes to find us.” He said, making his father laugh.

“Good idea.”

And together they stepped into the tubes, the monotone computer voice following them.

**Recognized: Superman; zero-one. Superboy; B-zero-four.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think. And which episodes you want to 'see' around here? I promise we'll have Claire next chapter, with the aftermath of this one. :)
> 
> As usual, tell me if you find mistakes and I'll fix it.  
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Girl Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I'm alive (barely). RL got me for a few weeks. But I'm back!

They barely walked in through the front door and Conner was being squeezed almost to death by his twin sister.

"I was so worried about you! Are you okay?"

She finally released him, so he sighed and smiled a little to her.

"I'm fine, mostly." He said honestly. "I think I just need a little rest."

"Hm… What happened to your shirt?" she frowned.

"I honestly can't remember clearly, but I think I destroyed it?"

She blinked twice, but then shook her head.

"Okay, I don't want to know. Come on, I made you dinner."

"Sweetie," Clark started to say. "it's two in the morning."

"I don't care." She said. "I bet Conner hasn't eaten since he left the cave."

As if on cue, Conner's stomach made a low growl that made Claire grin madly, like she did when she was right about something.

"Go take a shower, both of you, while I'll heat things up."

They knew arguing with her was futile, so they did exactly that. Conner striped from his pants and boots and got under his shower – turning it on the heat. He stepped under the water and just let it wash his tiredness. The whirlwind of emotions he had gone through the last hours made him heavy and tired. Good thing he had his family to hold him.

After his shower, he put on some grey slacks and a white tank top and went to the kitchen, where Clark and Claire were talking, waiting for him.

"Here he is!" His sister greeted with a smile. "Sit and eat. I can hear your stomach making cartwheels."

He sat beside his father, who was also eating – Claire had made his favorite pasta – and his sister served him with a very generous portion of food, that he gladly took and ate with gusto.

He refused to say anything about the ordeal he and his team had passed through in the last 24 hours, and gladly, neither his father or sister asked about it. They just ate in silence. After that, Claire told him to go to bed, and after saying good night to them, he did exactly that.

~.~

"I'm worried about him." Claire said, while cleaning another dirty plate.

"Me too. He's tired. And I have no idea what they did to him."

"We should ask tomorrow." She suggested. "Maybe he'll tell us."

"Maybe." Clark looked tired too, so Claire passed him the last plate to dry.

"You should rest too, dad. You haven't slept since they went out. And that was forty-eight hours ago."

He smiled briefly. "Perks of being a father to a teenage superhero, I guess."

Claire couldn't say much about that, so she wisely kept her mouth shut, starting to clean the sink.

"At least tomorrow is still Sunday. He'll have at least one day to prepare to school on Monday."

"Yeah." She said, smiling. "It's going to be great."

And she meant it. She couldn't wait to show Conner the good things in school. Also, she couldn't wait to spend some time with him, daily. Also, doing something there wasn't related to superheroing could do her some good.

Conner was proving to be a true superhero. Just like their father. And as much as Claire was proud of him, she was also becoming very… jealous. She kind of wanted to be a part of it too. After the event that made her think she didn't want to be a hero, she thought nothing could change her mind about it. And her dad had been very protective and adamant that she remained in secret, safe. So she simply shut the idea out, thinking that it wouldn't bother her.

But now… She wanted to be a part of that, too. At least to have a little more time with her dad and twin brother. She wanted to fight crime, punch some bad guys. She wanted to learn how to fly so graciously. She wanted to learn how to use the powers she didn't even developed yet. She wanted to become the Supergirl that Grandma always told her she could be.

"Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

She sighed.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine. Just tired, too, I guess." She said, without looking at him. "I'm going to bed, okay? Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. Sleep tight."

"Don't let the bedbugs bite…" she replied smiling, going to her room and leaving her dad to finish cleaning the kitchen – which he did in 0.8 seconds, following her in the hallway silently, to his own room, stealing a kiss in her cheek when he passed her.

"Love you."

~.~

The next day, Conner felt a lot better. Rested, he could hear and smell Claire making something in the kitchen. He couldn't hear his father's heartbeat, so he assumed he was out. He got up, took a long shower and got out of his room.

Sure enough, Claire was making lunch.

"Hey sleepyhead…" She said with a smile. "Sleep well?"

"I guess so." he stole an apple from the fruit basket and started eating. "Where's dad?"

"There's a flood in Indonesia. He went to help."

He felt himself smile.

"Superman doesn't stop, does he?"

"No," she laughed. "only when he's being Clark Kent, and sometimes, not even then. Being a hero it's a full-time job."

He smiled, and they sat in silence for a while. Conner helped with small things Claire asked him, but they didn't talk. He wanted to, specially about M'gann, but he didn't know how or where to start.

Fortunately, Claire seemed to have a sixth sense about those things.

"So… How are you, after this whole Bialya thing?"

"We're calling it 'Bialya thing' now?"

"I am."

He laughed a little, and then sighed. "Well… I'm fine, I guess. It was just… stressful."

"What happened there, Kon?"

His father's voice took him by surprise, but sure enough, once he turned around, Superman was there, looking at him, concern written in all of his features. Claire had a similar expression, and he couldn't help feeling good that they were worried about him.

"We had a… set back, I think." He started, wanting to talk about it with his family first. He knew he had to tell everything to Batman later, so it was almost like training.

He talked about the mission, their plan… until everything went wrong and Psimon got them. He talked about having no memories, just instinct. He talked it all, while Clark sat by his side, still in Superman regalia, and Claire walking around the kitchen, making their lunch. They didn't say anything until he was finished, for which he was grateful.

Finally, the food was on the table and Conner had finished talking. Claire looked at him with a smile.

"Well… I can't imagine how hard it must've been. At least you have a telepath for a friend."

They all laughed, which helped disperse the tension after his words.

"Yeah." He agreed, feeling himself a little strange.

"Hm… And it seems you like her."

"Well, yeah. She's my friend, right?"

Claire snickered. "Of course."

"Claire, stop it. It's making your brother uncomfortable."

Conner shrugged, feeling his face getting hot.

"You like her, right, Kon?" she insisted.

"Yeah…"

Clark sighed.

"What do you like about her?"

Her smile was mischievous, which made him confused. Clark was just eating and looking at his daughter with a resigned and fond look, and he decided he could answer honestly.

"She's pretty." He answered feeling his cheeks burning. "She has pretty eyes, she's kind. She doesn't like injustices… I… I like her."

Claire had the Cheshire cat smile on her lips.

"Dad…" she started.

"Yeah?"

"You need to have the 'Girl Talk' with Conner. You know, before things get a little more intense at the Team with Miss Martian."

Conner had no idea what she was saying, but somehow, he knew he should keep his mouth shut.

Clark just sighed, and then looked at him.

"Conner…"

"Yeah?"

"Your sister is right." He sighed again. "We should talk."

Claire started laughing.

"Oh, I'm gonna need some popcorn for this, but go on. I'll be listening."

Clark's cheeks were crimson red, and Conner knew he was just a mirrored image of his father right now.

Clark cleared his throat before he started talking.

"You see, when a man loves a woman…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clark having the sex talk with Conner is in my head for a while, hahaha. Poor Kent boys, so shy! And Claire, of course, is just having a good time watching their embarassment. hahaha
> 
> This is completely unbetaed, so tell me about the mistakes I made so I can fix them, please?
> 
> Don't forget to comment, and I'll be back as soon as I can.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. New Guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me this much time to update. I don't know what happens to me sometimes, I just can't write a single line.  
> Unfortunately, this still doesn't look as good as I wanted, and is a very tiny chapter. But it's better than nothing, I guess?  
> I'm planning on writing more on this holiday season, so I can update more, so.

Monday came quickly, and with it, Conner’s first day at school. First day ever. Claire was excited for him, which was good, because he wasn’t. He imagined he was having a bad case of anxiety, like he saw at the Google website (his new best friend in all things about high school in the last 14 hours).

It made sense, since he had no idea what to do when he got there, and he even tried to convince his father that he didn’t need to go to school, because c’mon… He knew everything already, and it was the only good side of being bred by an evil scientist. Of course, Clark didn’t even think about it before shooting down Conner’s plea.

Also, his father obviously didn’t want to shoot down his daughter’s excitement, which could be obvious even to a blind person.

“I’m looking forward to introduce you to my friends. Kyle and Marie are gonna love you! And there’s David, too… And so many people! And good thing we have most of the classes together. That should make it easier for you, since you’ve never been into school before…”

She was blabbering on and on since the moment Conner opened his eyes, but it was okay. At least he didn’t had to speak much if she was busy telling him every single thing she thought good and bad about school, and who to hang out with, and who don’t… And things Conner didn’t even dream about before. Eventually, before they left the table after breakfast, Claire seemed to ran out of subjects to talk about.

“Done?” Clark asked, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

“Maybe.” She said, smirking. “But I better stop before I can overwhelm my little brother here.”

Their father laughed.

“I think you’re too late for that.”

Claire looked at him, and then made an apologetic face.

“Sorry, Kon.”

He just blinked.

“It’s okay, I guess… You’re just excited for both of us.”

Something in his tone of voice alerted her about his mood, which was accidental. He really didn’t want her to think he was mad or something.

“You look like you don’t want to go at all.”

He sighed.

“I just don’t know what to expect. Even if you describe it a thousand times. I read about it. It’s different for everyone. And I… Well, I just don’t know what to do.”

“Is that all?”

“Well… I’m kind of afraid to embarrass you in front of your friends. I don’t have much ‘social experience’ yet. What if I do something unforgivable?”

She relaxed, then, and so did Clark – who, so far, only watched the two of them talk.

“Conner,” started his father. “I honesty doubt you can make anything unforgivable at school. You may embarrass yourself, of course, but that’s part of it. It’s part of growing up. Of learning to socialize. It’s part of discovering who you are and what you like and dislike. Believe me, everyone makes mistakes in high school. Everyone embarrass themselves a little sometimes. It’s normal. It’s one of the things that makes us all human, equal amongst ourselves.”

Claire smiled to him. “Dad’s right. Don’t worry about it.”

He supposed they were right. And if they were so invested in making him feel better about that, he owed them a try.

“Okay.”

“Now both of you get up and go brush your teeth. I’ll clean this mess and we can all go start our days.”

And they did exactly that.

~.~

Clark insisted to drive them to school, in honor of being Conner’s first day. Claire accepted the ride if only because they were kind of late, and couldn’t fly – yet, hopefully – to get there faster. Clark left them at the school parking lot, and with a small smile and a ‘good luck’ wish to Conner, he was out.

“I kind of expected him to stay a little longer.” Said Conner with his backpack on his back, looking at the way their car had gone.

“Well… He knows he doesn’t need to.” Claire smiled. “Come on, let me do a little tour with you before the bell rings.”

She, then, took him through the hallways full of people – apparently there were a lot of new people too, which made him feel better about being his first day – and friends chatting loudly and happily after so much time without seeing each other.

Claire waved and introduced him to some acquaintances - he already had met Kyle and Marie, on a night out a few days ago. He didn't talk much to them, but they seemed Claire's closest friends so far. They walked with them, and Claire was pointing to everything and everyone, telling him where everything was, where to go to his classes, who to avoid. They finally got to the row of lockers where Conner and Claire's lockers were located - gladly, almost neighbours. He picked a few things and left others, mimicking his sister while she chatted away about some Nancy Danvers who had a new terrible haircut this year with Marie. They separated from her when the first bell rang.

Conner, Claire and Kyle had their first class together - History. Which was good, because Conner kind of liked History. Since Cadmus put everything he needed to know in his brain, he was almost a walking encyclopedia - which was annoying because now Wally and Robin would always ask random things to him just to hear him talk like a dictionary, since he couldn't help say what he knew.

He sat right next to his sister, on the third row of seats. She smiled brighly at him, and he calmed a little. When Clark put him in school, he told them he would - somehow - make them stay in at least a few classes together. They ended with almost all of them. Only 2 classes Conner had alone, and they weren't even today. Clark had told him he wanted Conner to be comfortable, and having his 'twin sister' around could do it. He had to remember to thank him later.

~.~

Of course, later never came, because Superman was needed, and he ended up having to go at the Cave to some emergency alert that he got on his phone. He left his sister worried at home, only to find out that the alert had been sent by Robin, who was there with everyone waiting for him.

It was a trap. They put Conner and Megan in the sofa and asked a billion questions about high school.

Megan, apparently, was a cheerleader now - which made Conner frown, but okay, it matched her personality - and Conner just told them that he was adjusting, but so far everything was cool. They - a.k.a. Wally and Robin - weren't impressed. Of course, Batman found out about the alert and called Robin back to Gotham, which disbanded the Team.

They all had school the next day too, and without any urgent missions waiting, it was probable they were only going to see each other on the weekend. That made Conner pause at the zeta tubes.

"You okay, Conner?" M'gann asked, seeing his hesitation.

"Yes... Hm, did you made any new friends?"

She made her cute thinking face and smiled a little.

"Well, I suppose you can count Karen as a friend? She's the one who introduced me to the Bumblebees, the Cheerleading Team. She's pretty cool."

"Oh. Okay."

"Of course it's different than having friends here. You know. Here everyone knows I'm a martian. It's a big secret to keep, and you don't tell that to anyone."

He looked at her, and she looked embarrassed by some reason. He was about to ask why when his phone beeped. A message from Claire. He sighed.

"Yeah. It's very different. But it can be good having normal friends, too."

She smiled. He smiled back.

"Bye M'gann."

"Bye Conner."

He walked into the zeta tube.

**Recognized: Superboy, B-Zero-four.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!


	9. Terrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!

“I don’t like this.”

“You don’t have to.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“It’s an occupational hazard, Superman. They know that.”

“But… They’re children!”

A sigh.

“M’gann is technically on her fifties, and Conner may be a child in some ways, but not about that.”

An unhappy silence.

“I can _see_ you pouting.”

“You don’t have eyes on the back of your cowl.”

“…”

“Wait, do you?!”

“…”

Sigh. “I still don’t like this, Bruce.”

“I know. I don’t either. But it’s our only chance.”

~.~

Conner hated prison.

He knew it was important for the mission. Whatever it was, his infiltration with M’gann there had a purpose. Batman always had a reason. And even if his team leader hadn’t done anything to put them in unnecessary danger yet, he _knew,_ with unmistakable certainty, that his father wouldn’t let him do that if there was any other way. He knew that.

He had to admit that in the beginning it was kind of fun. Pretending he was someone he wasn’t was kind of like acting, like being in one of those movies he and the Team loved watching when they spent the night at the Cave.

When Batman and Superman told them about the mission, he was surprised. And then, excited. It was big. Bigger than anything the team had done so far. Batman gave him a copy of his files on Tommy Terror – the guy he was going to impersonate – to study. It had everything on it. Powers, likes and dislikes, and tons of video footage for him to learn how to _act_ like Tommy Terror. He studied diligently. He knew a lot depended on his – and M’gann’s – credibility in the part.

Claire helped him look like Tommy. She died his hair blonde, the same shade Tommy’s hair was. She carefully crafted the clothes for him, too, based in all the pictures she could find. When he appeared at the Cave in the day they were going to make the change, the others were surprised to see him so different. Well, everyone but Superman and Batman – who he supposed knew all about Claire’s sewing skills.

They changed after the twins were knocked down an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of New Orleans by Martian Manhunter and Superman. Then they were delivered to the SWAT team that took them straight to a car where Icicle Jr and Mr. Freeze were, being transported to Belle Reve.

That was their reason to be there. They needed to figure out why four ice villains had suddenly attacked on the Fourth of July, why they had let themselves be captured so easily, and more importantly – why they wanted to be in the same prison.

Conner figured it was a good thing he went to the same cell that Junior, and M’gann ended up with Killer Frost as a cellmate. That should make their mission easier. Hopefully.

~.~

Icicle’s plan was to bust all prisoners out.

As soon as they knew that and told the League the news through the mind link they shared with Aqualad – waiting outside Belle Reve – they started infiltrating deeper into the operation the villains were trying to make. Conner was glad that even through it all, he managed to get a very helpful insight from Icicle Jr. about his feelings toward M'gann - against all odds.

In the end, after everything was said and done, after he kissed M'gann like he had seen in the movies they watched, and after the League picked them up - effectively ending their mission there, Conner was exhausted. But happy. He'd done good. Batman told them so. Superman, too.

And now, apparently, he had a girlfriend. Who was smiling beautifully at him, with that shy expression that made his stomach do weird things. Also, she was blushing. Despiste her green skin. She was beautiful...

And he couldn't wait to tell his sister about that… She was going to freak out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, is a very tiny chapter, but I just wanted to post this because that's the 'episode' Conner and M'gann get together, and that's important to this story, too. And I wanted to post something here today, too.  
> I'll do Homefront next, and this'll be a little trickier. I hope I can post it before the year ends hehe
> 
> For those waiting for Claire to meet the Team: we're getting close to it, promise!


	10. Homefront

When Conner got home, carried by his father – he was so tired that Clark took one look at him and decided it would be better to just fly them over to the apartment – Claire was sitting on the sofa, watching some comedy that wasn’t really getting her full attention. As soon as they got into the living room through the window, she was up – and fussing over him, of course.

“Conner! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just really tired.”

“Didn’t know you could get tired.” She frowned.

“Neither did I, but I guess I can…” he shrugged.

“What are you doing up, Claire?” Clark asked, a lifted eyebrow showing his disapproval at her being awake at two in the morning with a school day the next day.

“I couldn’t sleep! When you said you were going to pick Conner from his mission I got worried. So I figured it would be best to wait up.”

“What about school tomorrow?”

“Oh come on, dad. Conner has school tomorrow, too; and besides, it’s not like I _need_ that much sleep anyway.”

Clark frowned but let the subject go, urging both of them to their beds, since there would be school the next day, and both of them needed to go – even though Conner asked for a pass on that, he didn’t get one, since it was only the beginning of the school year and he had a lot of new things to get accustomed to.

So, after the usual goodnight to his father and sister, he took a long and hot – and very needed shower – and fell on his bed, feeling like it was the best bed ever, and fell asleep right after his head hit the pillow.

~.~

The next day, he thanked whoever made kryptonians more durable on Earth for his fast recovery. Despite having barely four hours of sleep, Conner woke rested, and a lot better than he had been. He took a shirt from his closet and some clean jeans, dressed up and picked his school things, going to the kitchen where the smell of coffee was already getting into every pore in the room.

“Morning, bro.” Claire said happily after seeing him.

“Morning, sis.” He smiled.

“Sleep well?”

“Yeah. Thank god kryptonians don’t need much sleep to recover.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I like that part, too.”

He helped her put the plates on the table and noticed that he couldn’t hear their father at the apartment.

“Where’s dad?”

“There was an emergency in Tunisia right before we woke up. He left a note in the fridge.”

“Superman really doesn’t take any breaks, huh?”

She shrugged, turning off the oven and putting the pancakes in a plate.

“He can’t. He’s the only one who can do what he does. There’s a lot of heroes out there, but none with his power or stamina, you might say.” She smiled. “It’s a lot of work, but I suspect dad loves it. He loves helping people. It’s why he became a hero in the first place.”

Conner smiled back.

“Yeah, it suits him.”

“It definitely does.”

They started to eat, first in silence, and then Conner thought maybe it would be better tell his family he was dating with M’gann one by one. He was certain Claire would make a million questions and get all freaked out about it, and he really had no idea about his father’s reaction, but he suspected he didn’t want to tell them both at the same time.

Also, he had a feeling that as soon as they were in the same room, the Team would know (maybe not Wally), and he knew Claire and Robin were friends. Robin would totally tell her and she would be mad he didn’t told her first.

He cleared his throat.

“Claire?”

“Hm?”

“Something happened on the mission that I need to tell you.”

She stopped eating.

“It’s not a bad thing…” he started. “But… I feel I should tell you first.”

“Okay…”

“Remember when you made dad have the ‘girl talk’ with me? Because you said that I liked M’gann?”

“You _like_ her.” She corrected him. “But yeah, I remember.”

“Well… You weren’t wrong…”

She just looked at him.

He sighed and decided to tell the story from the beginning.

“In Belle Reve the prisoners have counseling sessions with a therapist. We were just pretending of course, but some things were said. And then, after, I was talking with Icicle Jr. who had a thing for M’gann – who he thought was actually Tuppence Terror – and then… I don’t know how to say it, but it just… I just felt something click, I guess? And… After everything, I… M’gann and I, I mean… We… Ah… We kissed.”

He supposed it could be worse. He had started well, and then gone horribly like a stuttering mess.

Claire blinked.

“You and M’gann?”

“Yeah. And… I think we’re kind of together now. We didn’t really talked about it, but…”

“Oh my god!” she squealed.

And there it was.

She got up and went to hug him. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks…”

“That’s so cute! In the middle of a mission! And no one saw?”

“Actually Icicle Jr. was there…” he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “But right after that was when we made ourselves known and the League came to take us out.”

“I see. Anyway, that’s so cute!” she squealed again. “You have to tell me the details when you two talk!”

“I will, I promise.”

“Okay, okay.” She was practically sparkling with emotion. “Now help me with the kitchen and let’s go or we’re gonna be late.”

He ate the last of his bananas and did exactly that, while Claire looked at him and squealed in delight one more time.

~.~

They got into class right before the second bell, and then the teacher. The classes that day were surprisingly not boring for Conner, which made him think that maybe school wasn’t going to be a total waste of time, after all.

At lunch, sitting beside Claire with her friends – Kyle, Marie, David and Lena – all around the table, one of them finally asked the question they have been preparing themselves to answer ever since it was decided that Conner was going to school.

“So, Conner… if you and Claire are twins… how come we never heard about you before?” Asked David, who were the friend that Conner disliked the most so far. He honestly didn’t know why Claire was friends with him.

“David! That was rude!” Said Lena, sitting beside him, but you could see the sparkle of curiosity on her eyes.

“Come on, you’re all wondering the same thing.”

“But I bet none of them would have asked that in a way so brutally rude, Dave.” Claire said, and then sighed. “You never heard of him, because I didn’t knew he existed until last July.”

Which was true.

“How is this possible?” Lena whispered, but the whole table could hear.

“When our mother had us, she kind of hid us from dad for a while. She couldn’t raise twins, so she gave me to dad, and stayed with Conner.” Claire said easily. “I was a week old, I guess, when dad heard about having a kid and picked me up in the hospital. My mother told him she didn’t want me.”

A lie, but believable.

“She told him I was premature because of a tea she took to abort. A lie, but dad bought it at the time.” She shrugged, putting enough masked hurt in the movement to not warrant any further questions about it. She was a genius at this. “She took Conner and raised him separately from me, and without dad knowing about him, until she died in a car accident in June.”

“That’s when Social Services found a will my mother left,” Conner filled in with his part of the story, playing the part of the boy who just recently lost his mother. “amongst other things, there was the name of my father and where he used to live. The social worker contacted him and he went there to meet me. And then he took me to live with him and Claire without a second glance.”

“You didn’t have any other family?” asked Marie.

“No. My mom’s family never wanted anything to do with me because I was born out of marriage. They were a very traditional family. They signed me off when mom died and gave me to adoption. If it wasn’t for the will saying who my father was, I would be at an orphanage now.”

“Thank god at least that your mother had the decency of doing.” Claire said, cutting her salad with a little more force than needed.

“Isn’t she your mother, too, Claire?” Kyle asked, although it looked like he knew the answer to that.

“No, she’s not.”

And that was the end of the subject. Soon, Kyle himself changed the talk to football and the game the school was going to have against a rival school soon, which prompted the boys in the table – except for Conner who wasn’t a fan – to talk about it.

Conner was honestly waiting for the school day to end. He couldn’t wait to see – and kiss – M’gann again.

~.~

He went to the Cave almost straight after he got home from school. He helped Claire with a few chores at home, and then made his homework. One hour later, he was ready, so he bid her goodbye, ignored her giggles and knowing look and got out of the apartment, walking the few streets until the hidden and old telephone booth that was a disguised zeta-tube.

He set in the destination and tried to ignore the pounding of his heart and the prospect of seeing M’gann in the next seconds… It didn’t work, but at least he tried.

**_Recognized: Superboy, B, zero-four._ **

The world became a blur and his stomach made a lot of unpleasant flips, and then everything ended. Zeta-trips weren’t very good, but at least they ended quickly. He opened his eyes to see himself at the atrium of the cave, that was empty. Well, almost. Sphere came rolling to greet him, and he pat him lightly in return.

“Where’s everyone, Sphere?”

He walked around, and found Kaldur and M’gann in the kitchen. Kaldur was reading something in Atlantian, and M’gann was – not surprisingly – cooking. It didn’t smell very good, but he’d rather not tell her right now. She was still learning.

“Hey.” He greeted them.

“Hello Conner.”

“Conner!” M’gann blushed furiously seeing him, which only told him that she was as nervous as he was with their impending ‘confrontation’ after their kiss.

“What you’re doing?”

“I’m merely trying to keep my studies.” Said Kaldur. “Otherwise I will be behind my colleagues in Atlantis.”

“I’m trying to make a cheesecake. I don’t think it’s working.”

“Keep trying.” He encouraged her.

She smiled and turned back to the oven. He sat there beside Kaldur and helped occasionally, until the recipe could no longer be saved, and then he went to comfort her. Kaldur excused himself to meditate in the pool, and then they had the space for themselves.

Which became weird, because none of them said anything.

And then it wasn’t weird anymore, because they were kissing again.

It seemed that Conner knew how to say things better by kissing M’gann than trying to talk with her. She relaxed in his arms and when they separated, she smiled.

“Does that mean we’re dating?” she asked. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend? I’m new at this.”

He laughed.

“I’m new at this too. But, yeah… I think we’re dating.”

She smiled and went to kiss him again.

It was only luck that made them hear the “ ** _Recognized: Kid Flash, B- zero-three_** ” and separate before Wally caught them at each other – which would have been embarrassing. They weren’t ready for that yet, and they both knew it.

The rest of the day they spent between their friends, training and talking. Nothing much happened, until later. When out of nowhere, two red robots appeared by the docks of the cave, pouring fire and bouts of unforgiving water, and demanding they surrender themselves – all of them. Except Robin and Artemis weren’t there. And they couldn’t surrender. They didn’t even know who these robots were, who they were working for.

After a fight that trashed the main dock, M’gann and Kaldur were trapped in a fire cage, making Conner’s heart twist with worry. M’gann couldn’t take the fire for long. He and Wally managed to evade for a while longer, but then were also trapped in something hard made of the water, and nothing – not Wally’s speed, not Conner’s fists – could take them out.

They weren’t dead because the robots were waiting for their friends. He didn’t know how to contact the League. Sphere was out somewhere, being knocked down too. No one knew what was happening.

And then, after what it looked like an eternity, he heard:

**_Recognized: Robin, B-zero-one. Artemis, B-zero-six._ **

He didn’t know if he should be relieved or scared. His friends had no idea what they were getting themselves into.


	11. Alpha Male

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took me so long! I'm having the worst writer's block ever, for all my stories.  
> I managed this chapter today, and I came here without even beta'ing so you guys wouldn't have to wait longer.

It was safe to say the whole thing with the Tornado Family was an almost complete disaster. With a special emphasis on the _dis_. Not asterous at all, as Robin would probably say.

After Tornado took out all the air from the space and made them unconscious, the next thing Conner was aware of was waking up with the distinct sound of a female voice panicking. And it was calling his name.

" _Kon, please wake up!"_

He was also very aware that _her_ voice couldn't be _here_ , on the Cave, with everyone else there, too.

He shot his eyes open, to face his twin sister with a desperate look in her eyes, looking like she was about to slap him at any time now.

Well, at least he woke up before that. Claire's slaps were painful.

"Oh, thank God. Dad! He's awake!"

"Great. You okay, Kon?" Superman was suddenly in front of him, too, concern written all over his face. He noticed a few other League heroes gathering beside his unconscious friends around.

"I think so…" he said. "Just stuck in this thing."

"We're gonna get you out of there." His dad assured him. Looking at Claire, he said sternly. "Now, you go home. Soon I won't be able to explain you."

"But…"

"Please, Claire…"

A few groans and whispers was all it took to convince her. The Team were waking up, sitting up slowly and sensing they were no longer in danger, and it was obvious Claire wanted to stay more, she wanted to _help_ , but Superman's secret went deeper now than ever. She couldn't stay unless she wanted to risk a lot of questions and a lot of unwanted attention – for her, and her father.

She sighed and gave Conner a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I'll make us something nice for dinner, okay?"

"Thanks."

With a sad smile, she ran through the bay, and Conner noticed Robin and Batman's eyes following her lazily, and Aqualad gave her a second glance, probably questioning himself whether he was seeing right. She went through the probably recently reactivated zeta-tubes, leaving nothing to identify her for.

_**Recognized: Special Guest. A- Zero- One.** _

Superman sighed and looked at him.

"So, while I go through this thing, can you tell me what happened? From the beginning?"

He sighed too, and while his dad began to use a low kind of heat vision on the aqua-frozen-thing on him and Kid Flash – who Conner noticed that was awake, too, talking to Flash – he started talking quietly, all the while wanting to his sister to be there too. Her sad look was haunting him, and by the frown still present in his father's features, he would bet it was haunting him too.

~.~

Claire didn't go home. Not at first. She punched the code for the Artic, beaming herself to the Fortress, where she ran into her bedroom. Her dad had given her a room there since she was eight, ever since he took her there the first time.

She did many changes over the years, like she did with her room in their Metropolis' apartment, but one thing had stayed the same: the picture on her headboard, an old one from when she was taken out of the hospital by her dad.

She was wrapped in a baby blue cloth, the only thing visible about her in the picture were her tiny hands, out in the air wanting to grab something. Clark was looking happy. So happy like she have never seen him. He looked at her with pure adoration and love in his eyes, the unearthly blue of his orbs leaking through his thick glasses' frame. One of his hands was caressing her cheek, and baby Claire was probably trying to grab that hand at the time. Babies were grabby.

His dad said that he was nervous when he found out he had a daughter. He was young, he barely even knew about himself or what he was going to do with his life, and he had a baby to raise? He was terrified, he had said to her. But he also said that the moment he laid eyes on her, he couldn't look away. Couldn't _step away_. She remembered the words he said to her, almost ten years back now, directly from his thoughts when he met her the first time:

" _The only thing on my mind when I met you, Claire, was the love I already had for you. I was there, taking you in my arms for the first time and thinking: 'I can't step away from this. She's mine, and I'm going to protect her with everything that I have. With everything that I am'."_

Claire closed her eyes. A small and lonely tear ran down her left cheek. She breathed deeply, like she is used to do when these kinds of thoughts ran through her mind.

She knows her father loves her. She knows that keeping her a secret is not a decision he made because he regrets having her so soon in his life or whatever. _She knows_ he does that to protect her.

But sometimes, it's hard. Sometimes, she wishes he could change his mind and let her roam free as _Superman's daughter_ , and be everything that she is.

She knows it's not fair to make that demand, so she keeps quiet every time she wants to scream at him that she's big enough now to take care of herself. She almost broke her own rule and did that when Conner came and joined the Team, but she knows their father has his reasons. His enemies know about Conner. They don't know about Claire.

She spends a little more time in her room, roaming through old stuff to remind her why she keeps her mouth shut and why she respects her father's wishes to stay put when all she wants is to put on a cape and go out there doing what _she knows_ she was born to do. But, as Grandma says all the time: someday, her father will see that.

She just has to be patient.

She leaves the Fortress as silently as she got there, beaming herself to the alley nearest to their apartment in Metropolis. She enters the place and goes straight to the kitchen. She promised her brother a nice dinner, and to distract herself, she'll do just that.

~.~

A Wolf.

Conner brought home a freaking giant Venom enhanced wolf.

He knew his son had a thing for strays. That much was obvious now. First the Sphere. He had to say no to taking it to Metropolis, so it stayed at the Cave. Then it was a couple of birds, who gladly took off to the skies after he took care of them – with the help of Claire.

Now it was a Wolf.

Clark sighed while the Team reported the mission with the Brain and Malala in Africa and watched as the big white wolf sat obediently beside his son, who had cuts and bruises, and a lot of marks that looked like made by claws. He had to ask about that.

After Batman dismissed the Team, Conner approached him sheepishly. The wolf came along.

"Hey dad."

Clark couldn't help but chuckle.

"Let me guess. You want to keep him?"

Like a child, Conner bit his lower lip and looked at the animal, who wagged his tail cautiously while looking at him, and then looked back at his father.

"Yeah… Can I? I mean, I know he can't stay at the apartment, but I figured he can stay here, too, like Sphere. And I'll take good care of him."

He could only smile.

"Of course, son." He said, and the smile Conner gave him could have lighten all Happy Harbor. "What's his name?"

Conner shrugged, now embarrassed. "Wolf."

Clark laughed out loud. "Of course it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? Told you it's a small chapter, but I managed to squeeze him out of me, so I thought I could just post already. I'm planning something to maybe squeeze a few more chapters and post more frequently, so... let's see how this turns out.


	12. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly bad at updating more than once in a month. Gah.

Wolf was good company when he wasn't at school or home with his family. Conner would pet him for a while – Wolf pretended not to like at first, but he really did – and then feed him, walk through the little forest behind the mountain, letting him sniff all he wanted and mark the territory with his smell and such. It was nice, but he wishes he could take him home and live with him there.

He had told Claire about his new pet the day he brought him, and she was happy for him, but since the fiasco with the Tornados, she seemed off. Clark noticed it too. She smiled like usual, she helped home, she helped him get used to the little odd things about school. But something in her smiles was forced. Something in her demeanor was always haunting the back of his mind and he couldn't shake it.

Worst of all, he couldn't _talk_ to anyone about what was troubling him, because his friends didn't know about her and he couldn't tell them. He had found a new sympathy for Robin not being able to tell his secret identity.

And then it clicked. _Robin_! He knew her! He could talk about his worries with him! And maybe even understand what was happening. From what he had gathered, they have been known each other for a while and were friends, too.

So that was how, three days after the whole thing, Conner found himself expecting Robin in the Cave, having coming there much sooner than usual from school. He sent a message to Robin's special phone – a hero one, untraceable, that he used to text and call the Team sometimes – telling him he wanted to talk to him.

" _Kinda stuck on homework, bro. But I think I can manage a little rest. Let me check if I can go out. – R._ "

He waited for a response for another ten minutes, and then got:

" _Can do it, but maybe it's better if we talk somewhere else? Meet me here in Gotham. Dora's Gums & Ice Parlor downtown. There's a zeta on an alley very close. I'll be there in five minutes. – R."_

He sent the coordinates to the zeta next, and Conner pet Wolf and went to the tubes, appearing in a very busy street in what was clearly Gotham. He got out of the alley and looked around, seeing the place Robin told him very close. He walked there, putting his glasses on his face – Claire had thrown a fit when he got out with her without them. He was trying to remember to use it when not around the Team or his family.

He got into the diner, which was basically filled with sweets and, like the name suggested, an ice cream fridge. It had small tables scattered around, and he went to the most distant one, but one he could see the front of the diner, and sat. He could order something when Robin showed up.

It was like he had summoned him. Robin walked into the store in civilian clothes and his usual sunglasses, and went straight to him, which made Conner think that he was looking before he got in.

He sat in front of him with a smile.

"I was dying to ditch that assignment. Thanks for the excuse." He smirked.

Conner smiled a little, and then Robin frowned.

"What's wrong? What did you want to talk about?"

He looked around, and then…

"Don't you want to order something first?" he asked.

Robin looked to the balcony and waved his hand. A waiter came to their table. His friend asked for a tuna sandwich and a coke. Conner looked through the menu and asked for a cheeseburger with fries and a coke. The waiter got out, and then Robin resumed their chat.

"So, want to tell me now?"

Conner sighed.

"It's about Claire, actually. And I figured you would be the only one who I could talk to about her."

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know." He was honest. "Did you notice that she was at the cave after Tornado?"

"Yeah… I was still dizzy but Bats said she was there before we woke up. Apparently very worried about us. You specially."

"Well… After dad told her to go, and she did, she is a little off. She smiles and talks and makes jokes as usual, but…"

"It seems forced?" Robin supplied, sighing.

"Yes. She's not okay, I think. But when I ask, she says some excuse and never answers truthfully."

Robin sighed again, his hand going through his hair in frustration. The waiter came back with their orders, and Conner used that time to distract himself. When the guy left, he whispered to his friend.

"I know dad sees it too. And I can see it's kind of killing him to see her like that. But he doesn't say anything and… I'm worried. With her, mostly."

His friend sighed again.

"Claire is wonderful." He started. "When Bats took me in, I was wrecked by a very close tragedy. She was the only other child Bats knew and trusted around me, so he asked Clark to let her spend some time with me. She was… kind. She never undermined my pain, or my feelings. Never tried to tell me it 'would be okay', like most people. She tried to help me anyway she could, by playing with me or just staying there, watching TV or… Just watching me remember and cry myself to sleep."

Conner didn't know about Robin's past. He had no idea who Batman and Robin were, despite the fact they were apparently pretty close to his dad and sister. But with their lives, he supposed they didn't had the time to be properly introduced yet. But all that didn't stopped him from hearing – almost feeling – the pain and angst in his friend's words.

"But as we grew up friends, and I eventually found out about Bats and Clark and Claire… Well, I noticed something. B confirmed it when I asked him about it."

"What?"

"She wants to be more. She wants to make more than being a civilian, if you know what I mean."

"I… do." He sighed. "And dad doesn't want her to."

"He wants to protect her. He doesn't want his enemies to target her. She developed a lot of powers already, but she's… half-human." Robin whispered. "B says Clark is afraid of that. Afraid that human part of her may be one more weakness. Afraid his enemies figure that out. He doesn't want to lose her."

"He's training her too, now. With me." He told him. "After he found out that she was training by herself it was like he felt guilty. When he takes me to train, he takes her too. She loves it."

Robin smiled. "Yeah, I can imagine. I just think Clark needs to see she's not a child anymore. She can take care of herself. And with his help, his enemies won't stand a chance. B said that to him, but apparently, he's still afraid. It's hard."

"I wish I could help her."

"She just wants to be out there. Like us, I think. But Clark's not really into the idea. And she wants to respect that, respect him, but maybe she's running out of patience. Specially after you came and became a hero too, I think. Maybe she feels it's unfair."

It was like a cold bucket of iced water in his head. How he hadn't thought of that?

"Oh my god… maybe that's the problem. She sees me all around, and she still can't go. It's really bothering her."

"Yeah, probably." Robin chewed the last of his sandwich, and Conner remembered that he still had his, with his fries to eat. He resumed eating. "You should talk to her. And maybe to Clark, too. Who knows, maybe you can change his mind about that?"

Conner thought about it while they finished eating. He could, but something told him it was going to take a whole lot more than talking to persuade Superman to let his daughter become another superhero.

~.~

She got home later than usual. Conner was back from the Cave (he returned there after Robin had to go home and finish his homework) almost by five afternoon, but Claire wasn't home yet. He thought it was odd, but waited nonetheless. By six fifteen, she crossed the threshold of the main door. He went to greet her.

"Hey… You okay?"

She looked at him with an odd smile, like the ones she was giving them lately, hoping they wouldn't notice that looked odd.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How's your day?"

"Fine… But, are you sure you're okay?"

She frowned at him, maybe realizing that he meant the question seriously.

"Yeah…"

Conner sighed.

"Claire, I know you're not. You don't need to lie to me."

She looked at him, right in his eyes, and maybe satisfied with what she saw, she sighed and sat on the couch, dropping her school bag on the floor.

"I'm really not."

He sat beside her, taking her defeated posture and downcast eyes with care.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, really. I guess it's part of the problem."

He realized he wasn't going to get an honest and straight answer out of her, and their dad was probably going to come home very soon, and he wanted to talk to her, before talking to him. He took a deep breath before asking.

"Is it because of that day when dad asked you to get out of the cave? Before anyone saw you?"

She gulped, nodding instead of giving a talked answer. Conner sighed.

"I figured. You haven't been yourself since then. And I think dad noticed too, sis."

"I know he did. The thing is that he'll never do anything about it. He'll just wait for me to get through it, like usual. It's been the same thing ever since I was about ten."

"Ten? That's when it started?"

"Yes…" she smiled at him, a little more like herself at thinking about the past, maybe. "Robin had just started it out. I figured if he could, why couldn't I?"

"Good question."

"Dad never answered, though. Never let me try it. He did let me train with Bats before, but only for a while, and well… He doesn't really want me out there."

Conner frowned.

"Do you know why?"

"He said it's because he wants to protect me. From his enemies. He doesn't want me to get hurt. I get that, but… doesn't make much sense, at the same time. I'm almost invulnerable, like him. He says he's not ashamed of me, because I was born when he was really young and all, but I think in some subconscious level, he is. What other reason he wouldn't let me? Especially now that you're here?"

Conner sighed.

"You don't think it's fair. That he lets me out, but you don't."

She sighed and looked at him, so he would know she was being honest.

"He told me, right after I learned that you were joining the Team, that his enemies knew about you. They made you. He couldn't do anything about that, and he thought it wasn't fair to keep you from your new friends. But me? His enemies didn't know about me. No one does. That's what he told me, and it made sense, it's just…"

"You wish someone knew."

"Yeah."

"What about Batman and Robin?"

"They're our friends, doesn't count much. Also, Bats talked to dad about it once, didn't work out. He may be your boss in the Team, but he and dad are co-leaders in the League. They don't boss each other around. They're pretty good friends, but dad only does something Batman tells him when they're on a mission and it's on the plan or something like that. Otherwise, no. He makes his own decisions."

"I guess he's just afraid. That he can't save you in case you get hurt, maybe?"

"May be. But it's not a good enough reason for me. It used to be, but now… It's not anymore."

Conner didn't know what to say. He was glad Claire had decided to talk to him, but to see the problem was what he and Robin had discussed made things a whole lot harder. He didn't know what to do with that new information.

"I'm… sorry." He said.

"It's not your fault, Kon." She smiled at him. "I'm just kinda miserable, but I'm not mad at you or anything. And I'll be fine. Eventually."

He smiled back, and she inclined her head to give him a kiss in his cheek.

"Okay, help me make dinner. Dad sent me a text saying he would be home by seven and it's almost seven. Also, I want to know more about M'gann."

Conner felt his cheeks warmer at that.

"What about her?"

Claire laughed. "Well, tell me everything."

She locked arms with him, dragging him to the kitchen and made him talk about his girlfriend, his friends, the team, and Wolf. She looked more like herself after they talked, and Conner was glad, even though he could see a little hurt in her eyes every time he mentioned his team.

When Clark got home, they had dinner while Claire talked almost excitedly about a new routine she had on the gymnastics team. Clark looked relieved that she was a little more normal, but still with that worried frown on his face. Conner decided to talk to him later, after a little thinking. They went to sleep a little easier that night.

~.~

The next day, the Injustice League took all of Conner and Clark's day. Claire decided not to wait for them to finish their heroes' duties, and took a train to Smallville. She couldn't fly yet, and jumping as high as she could to Kansas would attract way too much attention. She took the train, called Grandma and they were waiting for her for lunch.

The news was on when she got on the farm, after Grandpa went to pick her up. She hugged grandma, and they sat on the kitchen table while watching the gigantic plants tearing up major cities all over the world.

Somehow, it looked like another planet being attacked. Claire hadn't seen anything while on the train. She felt some tremors when they passed cities that were being attacked – and when they left Metropolis, things were wild – but nothing more. Grandpa and grandma knew the feeling. It was like a movie.

Like she knew Claire was needing comfort food, grandma put a large piece of apple pie in front of her after lunch, which made Claire smile genuinely for the first time after her talk with Conner last night.

"Thanks, grandma."

"After your call earlier, hon, I figured you would need it." She winked. "Will you stay the weekend or just today?"

"Dunno…" she said truthfully. "I brought clothes for the weekend, but I'm not sure. I didn't told dad I'm here, either."

"Claire…" Martha gave her a disapproving look. "You know he worries."

She sighed.

"That's the problem, grandma. I'm getting tired of that…"

Jonathan and Martha Kent looked at each other in the small kitchen with a look of confusion, and then a little understanding, before looking at their granddaughter, who looked like she was ready to cry at any minute. Martha left the dishes in the sink, sat beside Claire and held one of her hands.

"Tell us what's happening, dear."

So Claire told them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Claire is a little sad, but that's about to end. Also, Clark just wants his baby to be safe, really. He worries. A lot. He's a professional worrier. :P
> 
> I intend to explore more about Robin's friendship with Claire (and now Conner), just like Bruce and Clark's friendship too. Will you like that? Tell me on your comments, please.
> 
> Don't forget to review. Thanks for reading.


	13. Humanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I squeezed this chapter between cough fits and a very bad case of flu. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

“Your father is scared, Claire.” Grandma was saying.

And why did everyone kept saying that?

“He’s scared about losing you.” Said grandpa, smiling to her after giving her a few more napkins to clean up her nose.

She had cried a lot these last days, including now, after pouring out her feelings to her grandparents.

“He’s not ashamed by you, I doubt that.” Said Martha. “And if he is, I will put him in my lap, Superman or not, and give him a few slaps in the butt for that. But he isn’t.”

Claire managed to laugh at the mental image.

“He loves you more than anything, sweetie.” She continued. “The fact that he lets Conner out there and you don’t says nothing. He told you himself: his enemies know about Superboy. They don’t know about you. And, we all know he cares about Conner just the same, but we can’t tell he _loves_ him the same way he loves you. At least not yet.”

To that, Claire looked at her, confused. Martha smiled.

“Conner is your brother. He’s our grandson. And he’s Clark’s son. Of that, no one has any doubts. But he came into the world three months ago. It’s not enough to build a true and strong paternal love towards him. I believe Clark cares about him, worries about him, and may be starting to love him already. But you, sweetie… he _raised_ you. He was responsible for your _conception_. I’m not saying it’s more important, but…”

“You saying he had more time with me.” She completed, understanding. “So he learned how to love me while raising me, while I was growing.”

“Yes. He’s doing the same thing with Conner now. He’ll love him someday. Maybe someday soon. But right now, you’re his priority.”

Claire sighed and closed her eyes. “I know all that, grandma. But I wish he knew I’m not a baby anymore. I’m not a child. I can defend myself. He’s even teaching me how!”

“Then talk to him, honey.” She said, calmly. “But talk to him with arguments. Tell him why. Maybe he’ll finally listen to you.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

Jonathan and Martha shared another look, and Jonathan was the one who answered this time.

“Then maybe you’ll have to _make him_ listen. But talk to him first.”

She looked at them and nodded, promising to at least think about the subject. They hugged her, sent her to the living room and went to clean up the kitchen, still messed up from lunch – they had spent the last hour talking, the TV on _mute_ so not to disturb them.

From what Claire could see, the gigantic plants were still causing havoc around the world. The news would pop up every thirty minutes or less, in the middle of the normal programs, and give them an update. She decided she wouldn’t come back to Metropolis that day.

Going to her room, she picked her cellphone from her back pocket and texted her dad and Conner to let them know where she was. In the middle of an attack like that, it would be inconsiderate if they got home and she wasn’t there.

_‘I came to Smallville after the plants started to grow. I’ll be spending today and tomorrow here. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Take care of yourselves. Love you both. – Claire.”_

She sent them the same message and then snuggled into the comforters, ready to take a nap. It had been an exhausting morning and she needed some break, because after that, she was going to have to make a decision. A very important and hard decision.

~.~

After the Injustice League was handled, Clark and Conner arrived to an empty home. Before freaking out, though, Clark looked at his phone, finding Claire’s message. Conner, apparently, hadn’t thought about that and was looking at him with an almost panicked expression.

“Claire is in Smallville. She went there when the plants started growing. She sent us a message.” He said.

Conner sighed in relief, but didn’t say much.

“Is she coming back today?” he asked. “Are you going to pick her up?”

“She said she’ll be spending the weekend.” Clark sighed, running his free hand over his hair. “I’ll call her tomorrow and see if she wants for me to pick her up.”

Conner nodded. They spent a few seconds in silence. Both still in their costumes, since Clark had flown them from the zeta tube straight to their living room.

“I’m going to shower and then make us some dinner.” Clark said, smiling a little to his younger son, trying to quell the uneasy feeling and worry about his oldest out of his mind for a while. She was okay for now.

“Okay…” Conner said. “I’ll shower and help you.”

They went their separate ways, ready to do just that. Their relationship at home – without Claire as a buffer – sometimes was awkward still, but Clark had faith things were going to be better with time. They had to.

~.~

They ate mostly in silence, each lost in their thoughts. Conner was trying to find a way to talk to Clark about Claire, without his dad being mad at him. Clark, lost in his own thoughts, didn’t realize the frail breath his son took before gathering the courage to ask.

“Why don’t you let Claire be a superhero?”

Clark paused with the fork halfway to his mouth, and then put it down. He sighed.

“She always told me she would be a doctor. That she wanted to help people a different way. I was more than okay with that, but then she apparently changed her mind.”

“She told me something like that when I first got here.” Conner remembered.

“Yes… But I can see she wants to be a hero, too. If you’re wondering.”

“Then why not let her?” Conner asked. “Why not at least tell about her to your friends in the League?”

“My friends in the League know about her.”

“All of them?”

Clark grimaced, and Conner sighed, asking again:

“Why, dad?”

Clark looked at him, and suddenly Conner could see the worry, the love and the insane amount of doubts his dad had.

“Because I’m scared,” he admitted, making Conner surprised. “Ever since I saw her for the first time, she became the most important thing in my life. And I have many enemies. People without any moral code who would kill her just to make a point. I…” he gulped. “I can’t lose her. I’d go mad.”

He stayed in silence, wanting to ask why _he_ was allowed, then, but thought it wouldn’t be fair. No matter how much they acted and treated him like he was family, Conner knew he really wasn’t. He was a _clone_ , a weapon made to fulfill the will of the Light, and despite the fact that he knew Clark and Claire cared about him, he also knew he didn’t have the same bond with them. Most importantly: he knew Clark didn’t love him, not the way he loved his daughter.

But it was okay, he forced himself to think. It was okay because their situation was very special, and Clark treated him like a son, and they were bonding. Maybe one day, he could feel the same amount of love that Clark gave Claire towards himself. For now, he could deal with being the “less favorite” son.

“You are different in this.” Clark started again, taking Conner out of his musings. “By now my enemies know about you. They might notice that we have a relationship like father and son soon, and they _might_ use you to come to me, but… I can’t really do anything about that.”

“So you’re keeping Claire out of the hero business to protect her?”

Clark sighed.

“Yes. I keep telling her that, too. But I feel like it’s not enough anymore.”

“She can take care of herself, dad…” he tried. “Maybe it’s time to let her?”

Clark looked at him intently for what it felt like a whole minute.

“You talked to her.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I did.” He answered truthfully. “She’s disappointed. I guess seeing me with the Team makes her sad.”

Clark sighed. “I… Noticed she wasn’t herself these days.”

“She’s trying to hide, but… She’s hurt. And I… I think you should talk to her. Really talk to her.”

Clark put his head in his hands, looking tired and sad, and Conner hated to be the one to do that to him. But remembering his sister’s words from the day before, he forced himself not to regret his words.

“And maybe you could rethink the whole decision of not letting her out? I mean, you are training us, dad. And if she wants to be a hero… she’ll find a way to be.”

Clark looked at him for a few more moments before sighing again.

“Maybe you’re right. I… have to think this through.”

He nodded, wanting to have an answer, but he knew it was too son yet.

Clark didn’t talk anymore, and Conner respected his silence. He helped his dad clean the kitchen and they went to their rooms, and Conner just had to believe everything was going to be alright in the end.

~.~

The Team met Zatanna in the end of a training day with Canary. Her father, Zatara, didn’t like the idea of Zatanna out there fighting, and her situation was very alike his sister’s. He wanted to introduce them, but didn’t know if it was the right thing. At least not yet.

They ‘kidnapped’ Zatanna to go after Tornado, and it turned out to be a very good decision. She helped them fight the Tornado family, and together they defeated the Red Volcano – Tornado newest brother – and brought Tornado home. He was going to need repairs, and the League was working on that, but at least now they knew Tornado wasn’t a mole, and he was alright.

Well, things were mostly alright. They still didn’t know who was the mole in the team – if there really was one – and they needed to figure it out.

But until then, they were alright.


	14. Failsafe

Clark had his doubts about the Failsafe Test Batman and Manhunter wanted to do with the team. Messing with the mind wasn't always the best idea. But, he trusted them. He made Batman promise to call him if they needed him, leaving with an uneasy feeling in his chest.

The only reason he didn't stay was Claire. He had the day off, and had worked up the courage to talk honestly with his daughter. Conner knew that, and when he bid goodbye, his son gave him a smile and a thumbs up, which made the angst feeling he had quell a little.

He got home to the amazing smell of lunch almost ready. Claire, apparently, was making pasta. He smiled.

"Want help?" He asked.

She smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. And not for the first time, which only made Clark's heart squeeze in a painful way.

"I'm almost done. Is Conner okay?"

"Yeah. I left before they started, but he was fine. I made Bruce promise to call if he needed me."

She nodded and turned back to the oven, where she was mixing the sauce.

"I'll change and help you with the table, at least." He said. "Be right back."

She hummed and he went to his room, in a human pace, to give himself time to think through his words. He had said Claire he wanted to talk to her, before going with Conner to the Cave. While she didn't look nervous or even worried, he was a wreck. He had no idea how this would turn out, and he really wasn't liking the way his daughter was so… guarded with him. They always had the best of relationships, and not being able to see his daughter be free with him hurt him. He just hoped their conversation fixed that.

Back to the kitchen, he helped Claire set up the table and put the dishes she used to make dinner in the machine, cleaning up a bit. Soon, the pasta was done and served, and they sat in the kitchen counter to eat.

Just the two of them, like it used to be a little over three months ago. Clark sighed, noticing that Claire was eating quietly, without even looking at him. He steeled himself and decided to start things.

"So, honey, how was your day?"

She looked briefly at him, but answered anyway.

"It was nice, I guess."

Apparently she was not willing to use too many words today. Clark didn't let that deter him.

"What did you do?"

"I cleaned up my room, finished a history assignment, and I'll probably clean the rest of the house after lunch. And Kile and Lena are wanting to go to the movies later, so there's that."

Clark hummed. No mention of their conversation, and Claire  _knew_. He just had to talk, then.

"Well, sounds nice. But I need to talk to you before all that."

"Okay, no worries."

He sighed. He was tired of talking to her scalp, since she wouldn't look at him. He extended his right hand to hold her chin, making her look at him. She looked surprised with the gesture, but wasn't showing any other emotion that he could see.

"Honey… Why won't you look at me?"

"I am looking at you, dad." She said, but he could hear her heart increasing its beating, suddenly. She was trying to distract him.

"I don't mean just now. You haven't really looked at me while talking or talked freely with me in the last weeks. Why?"

He  _knew_  why. He just needed her to be honest.

She looked at him for a while, and then sighed.

"I… I'm feeling a little bit down lately."

"I noticed," he said. "why? Talk to me, sweetie."

She messed a little with her food before saying the words he was waiting for.

"Ever since I left the Cave that day… It's just… I feel like you don't  _want_  me to show myself in front of the others."

He took a deep breath, but she wasn't finished.

"And, I don't know… I know I said I wanted to be a hero in my own way, without a cape and a name, but that was a long time ago. This last year, especially after Conner appeared, I just… I feel like I should be doing more. And… I want to."

She looked at him, and her eyes were screaming for him to understand.

"I realized I want to be a hero too, dad. With a cape and a name. Even if it's just covert like the Team." She sighed. "And… It just feels like your answer is always no."

"It's a big change for the girl who always said she wanted to be a doctor."

She grimaced.

"I still want to be a doctor. But…" she sighed again, looking at him with the next words. "But I want to be Supergirl, too."

There it was.

Clark sighed, holding Claire's hand in his. Looking at her with all the love he felt for her, praying he could say the right words.

"Honey, you know why I don't introduce you to the world."

"I know."

"And the League… Well, maybe you're right. Maybe not every member, but I think I can introduce you to some of them."

She looked at him, with hope in her eyes.

"And about Supergirl…" he sighed. "I'm scared, Claire."

Her eyes turned worried.

"I'm scared that you get hurt. I'm scared that my enemies take advantage of you to get to me. I'm scared that maybe it's too much for you. But most of all…" he steeled himself, he had promised to be honest with her.

She was just looking at him, waiting.

"Most of all, I'm scared because you're growing up too fast." He smiled, then. A sad smile. "Soon you'll be your own, making your own decisions, and for your whole life I did that. It may sound crazy but… That's how I'm feeling right now."

"Dad…"

"I had a little chat with Bruce about that." He laughed. "He told me it's a natural thing, that I had to let you go and so on. I want to see when it's Dick leaving the nest, let's see if he's going to be like that."

Both laughed, knowing their favorite Bat had a lot of problems with letting things go.

"Anyway… I don't know how I feel with you being part of the Team, yet, sweetie. But… We can make some compromise about Supergirl? If you promise you'll let me train you, and talk to me in every step of the way. Just so your old man can have a little peace of mind?"

She looked at him, and then smiled. A big, happy smile he hadn't seen in her in a while, which made his heart flutter.

"Yes!" She hugged him, then, tight and he returned the hug immediately. How he missed that. "Thank you, dad!"

"Ow sweetie. I'm sorry it took me so long. It's just… I can't lose you, Claire." He confessed.

She looked at him, then.

"If I lost you, I'd go mad." He sighed. "You're my whole world."

She smiled, and hugged him again.

"You won't lose me, dad. I promise I'll try to do everything you say, and I'll play through your rules, so to speak."

He knew even like that, she could get hurt, but decided against to point that out.

"Okay, sweetie. Then we have a deal."

She set him free, then, looking at him with hope in her eyes, excitement bubbling through her.

"And what's the deal, exactly?"

He took a deep breath, getting courage from the fact that she looked like herself again. Especially with him.

"You going to help me, here in Metropolis. You've never worked like a hero before, so I would like for you to work with me before going to work with them."

"Okay. I can deal with that." She smiled. "And?"

"You'll be Supergirl in Metropolis. And… we'll see from that."

She smiled and clapped, happy her wish was being granted. "Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, sweetie. I know you'll make me proud."

"I will." She promised.

They hugged again, and Clark felt like a heavy weight was being pulled out of his shoulders. They chatted happily about other stuff then, and finished lunch. He washed the dishes and Claire helped, and since it was Saturday and he didn't have anything from work to do, he helped her clean the apartment. After that, he had to help a few people around the globe, and Claire told him she was going to go out with her friends.

It was better, to fly without that huge cloud above them. He was starting to feel like himself again.

Later, close to dinner time, he received a call that made his fears reappear. Now, for his other child. For Batman had called, his voice urgent, saying that Conner needed him.

The Test had gone south. Terribly. He didn't explain what it was until Clark got to the Cave, where the Team had just been forcibly awoken. He went to Conner, who was panting, and didn't exactly looked at him. Batman and Manhunter explained what M'gann had done – taken control of the exercise, making all of them think it was real, putting them in forced mental comas when they 'died' in the simulation – and Clark got scared for Conner. What had they seen or felt? It was clear they needed time to get over this, and he said so.

Conner was trembling, slightly. It made him worry.

"We can't do anything now, I'm afraid." Said Manhunter. "Anything but let them rest. Process this."

"Go home, Team." Said Batman. "Take two days off. When you come back, we'll talk about it and do anything that's needed."

It was implied to the mentors in the room: the team was going to need a little counseling sessions with Canary to overcome this. He nodded to Bruce when they locked eyes, and ushered Conner away, after he tried to talk to M'gann and she wouldn't look at him.

"Come, son. You can talk to her later," he whispered, and Conner went with him. Maybe a little too exhausted because of the exercise.

They went to the zeta tubes, and Clark took his son home. It was time to take care of him, now.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Claire is going to be Supergirl! Any guesses how this will turn out? Let me know!
> 
> Also, this chapter isn't beta'ed (like usual), so tell me about any mistakes.
> 
> Thank you for your patiente with my ridiculous schedule for this story. It means a lot that you still read and comment even then!
> 
> Don't forget to review, and see you soon (I hope!)


	15. Disordered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!  
> Yes, I'm alive, and by some sort of magic, I had the inspiration to finish this chapter (FINALLY). Enjoy

He didn’t call Claire when they got home. She was having fun, and after the weeks they had, he felt she needed it. But he made Conner shower and, since he couldn’t sleep, they sat in the sofa. Clark didn’t ask anything. He felt that so soon, Conner wasn’t going to say anything. He just stayed there, with him, hoping he could feel safe enough to talk.

It took almost an hour, but then, Conner got closer to him, putting his head on his shoulder. Clark took him as a sign, and hugged him. He felt Conner sigh, and melt into the embrace. They stayed like this for a very long time. Watching TV, hugging each other. He knew Conner was different from Claire. He wouldn’t talk then. Maybe later, so he just let him be comfortable. It was all he could do now.

~.~

Claire learned about what happened the next day, when she noticed her little brother down for some reason. She refrained from talking about it, but her eyes begged Clark for answers. Eventually he pushed her aside in her bedroom and told her what happened, when Conner decided he needed more time alone and locked himself up in his bedroom.

“But… I thought Batman and Manhunter made sure that nothing was going to happen!” She said.

“Me too, sweetie. But they didn’t know M’gann was so powerful. She overtook the exercise. That’s why it went wrong.”

“So what can we do?” she asked, looking lost.

“For now just be here for him. When he’s ready to talk, he will.”

“You sure, dad?”

“I’m hoping.”

~.~

Conner heard them talking. He knew they were worried with him, they wanted to help him. It warmed his heart that his family was there for him, after the whole exercise fiasco. But he didn’t know how to tell them… he didn’t know how to say what he felt when everything seemed hopeless in his mind. What would they think of him?

Would they send him away? Back to Cadmus?

Or would they just ignore him?

His heart was twisting with worry and pain from his own thoughts, and he didn’t know what to do.

He just hoped it would pass, quickly.

~.~

One thing Claire needed to learn (and quickly, if she wanted to be a superhero) was patience. She had promised her dad she would give Conner time to think things through, and to actually look for them. She promised she would wait.

But she couldn’t.

The week passed by without any changes.

Conner would go to school with her. He would smile and talk to their friends normally, like nothing was wrong, until they turned faces. And then he looked miserable. He would do the things he needed – like eating, answering questions, studying, playing football at the gym class. But everything he did was on autopilot. And, worst of all: he was avoiding Claire.

Maybe he knew she was going to ask. Maybe something about the exercise was about her, and he didn’t know how to tell her. Whatever it was, he only had the minimum of social interaction with Claire. When they got home from school, he would just turn change clothes and go to the Cave. Where his friends were. Where his girlfriend was. He didn’t come back until after dinner, and then he would say a few words to them and lock himself up in his room.

It was driving her mad. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to talk to him, and it was going to be today.

So, when they were almost at their building, she asked:

“Do you mind helping me with cleaning? I have tons of homework and I like to do these things at normal speed.” She said. “It helps with focus and control of my abilities. And… you could give it a try with yours, too.”

He looked at her and – maybe – saw her eyes, full of hope to spend an afternoon with her brother. So he nodded, without saying one word.

She considered a win.

~.~

When they were home, she changed to a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Conner did the same, and she smiled at him, trying to break the ice:

“Well, looks like we’re starting to think like real twins.”

He gave her a small smile, and nothing else. She took a deep breath and decided to do things slowly. No matter how soon she wanted to help him, one thing that her father said stuck with her: he would only talk when he was ready to.

So her job today was to make sure to him that, no matter what happened, no matter what he was feeling, it was okay to talk about it. It was okay to tell them. They wouldn’t love him any less. Nothing would change. She hoped it was enough to get him out of his shell, even if it went slowly.

She started showing him where the cleaning supplies were. And then, she said what she needed to do and how she liked – cleaning was her responsibility at home, dad never cared much, he trusted her taste (she was granddaughter to Martha Kent, after all). When she was sure he understood, she went with him to the living room. It wouldn’t do giving him a space and leaving him alone in it. She needed him to talk with her.

He started with the coffee table. Taking out things that didn’t belong there – like magazines, pamphlets, old newspapers; and cleaning the dust. Claire started with the small tv rack, cleaning the family pictures and small decorative things there, as the home appliances.

She eventually started humming a song, to break the silence. It was a new pop song that wouldn’t get out of her head ever since she heard. Then, out of nowhere, she talked.

“We never took pictures with you.”

Conner stopped cleaning the carpet and looked at her.

“What?”

“Family pictures. You’re here for, what, four months already? And not a single picture. We need to fix that.”

“Why would you need pictures?”

She held a portrait of her and her dad that they took in Canada, when he had to travel for the Planet and took her because she was on Spring Break.

“To put here, with the others. It’s part of the decoration. The memories we built together. So we can remember the good times.”

Conner blinked, and then shrugged.

“I suppose we could take one, then, if you really want me there.”

“Of course we want you here!” She put the portrait back. “It’s settled. I’m gonna ask dad for a picnic tomorrow. The three of us. We can go to the Park and have a nice day and take lots of pictures. It’s gonna be great!”

Conner nodded. Claire figured it was enough.

“Kon, can I ask you something?”

He looked at her, and she could see the hesitation in his eyes.

“Yes…?”

She sat down on a chair, looking straight at him.

“What happened in the exercise that you are so afraid of telling us?”

It was like a deer caught in the headlights. Bingo, then.

“Whatever it is,” she continued “you don’t have to be afraid. We still going to love you, no matter what.”

Conner finally blinked out of his shock, and sighed, sitting at the couch.

“I… I’m not so sure of that.”

“Why don’t you try?”

He looked at her.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m sure it won’t matter to dad, either. We’re your family. We’re here to help you through anything. And most important: family is accepting. Is loving.”

Conner gulped. Then he sighed again.

“I… Don’t know where to start.”

“From wherever you want.” Said Clark.

Claire turned in surprise to the window, and so did Conner. Their dad was there, all loving eyes, looking at Conner. He had the Superman suit, and he changed to normal clothes in the blink of an eye, sitting beside his son and holding his hand.

“Whatever you want to tell us, we’re here Conner. Like Claire said, you don’t have to be afraid to open up for us.”

Conner seemed to create courage from that, and he nodded.

“So… here’s the thing.” He started. “You know the basics: we’re on a simulation built to go wrong, no matter what we did. We saw the League die. And then our teammates. Wolf died. Until then, I wasn’t very sad, like the others, we knew in our subconscious that it wasn’t real. When M’gann took control… Suddenly I was very aware that I was alone again. I couldn’t find Claire anywhere, so I assumed she died, too. I was alone again. The team was there, but they… weren’t all family. Not like you are.”

Clark held his hand tighter, and Claire went to sit on his other side, holding his other hand. Conner felt like he could actually tell everything, with them giving him strength.

“Then I was in the position Cadmus created me to be. I was the only kryptonian left on Earth. I was…”, he looked at Clark, “holding your burden, so to speak. And I felt…”

He gulped again.

“You can go on, son.”

He took a deep breath.

“I felt… peace. For the first time since I opened my eyes.”

Claire and Clark looked at each other, but otherwise didn’t talk.

“The world was ending, everyone I love was dead or dying, and all I felt was peace. Peace with myself. I was finally doing what I was born to do, what I needed to do, and… I wasn’t afraid at all. And… Now I’m scared of that.”

He looked at Claire, then at Clark, his eyes full of doubts and tears.

“I’m scared of what this feeling means. I’m afraid Cadmus still have something in me, or even worse… I’m afraid what they did to me can’t be undone. I’m… I don’t know what to do about that.”

Claire just hugged him, and Conner let himself be hugged.

But his eyes still looked for Clark’s, full of doubts, fears and insecurities.

Clark smiled at him.

“When you’re afraid of something, the first step to let it go is admitting to yourself. I’m glad you told us that. I don’t know if Cadmus still has some sort of control over you, but we can investigate on that. And if they don’t, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you, Conner.”

He looked at him through wet eyes, a flicker of hope in them.

“We have to face the truth: you’re my clone. You _were_ created to eventually replace me, but you have a mind of your own. Whatever feeling you have on your subconscious can be a side effect of how you were created, but it doesn’t say a thing about you or your character. You _chose_ to leave Cadmus. You _chose_ to stay with us, to learn how to use your abilities for good. That’s what matters, son. We can figure out the rest. You only have to let us help when you feel like you need it.”

“There’s no shame in asking for help.” Claire completed.

“Yes.” Clark added with a smile. “Why do you think the Justice League exists? No hero can do everything alone. That’s why we join forces. _You can’t save the world alone_.”

Conner finally smiled.

“It makes sense.” He said. “Thank you. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore if I told you that.”

Before Claire said anything – like she was, outraged as she looked right now – Clark spoke again.

“Claire told you before: we’re family. No matter what, we still going to support you and love you. You can trust us, son. You're part of us now.”

Conner wriggled free out of Claire’s arms, just to hold his father instead, who hugged him with everything he had.

And even if his mind was still shaken and maybe a little confused and broken, Conner felt he could trust them. He felt a little _peace_ in knowing they were there for him. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping I can come back sooner. I already started on the next chapter, so let's home inspiration doesn't leave me again, right?  
> Read and review, please.


	16. Misplaced

**_A month later_ **

****

The day Supergirl finally took the skies started like every other day.

It was Saturday. Conner was already on the Cave, her dad was chasing a story with Lois somewhere, and she had just arrived at the Fortress of Solitude to train, like she was doing for the past months. It was weird training by herself, without Superman there to help her, but she knew he couldn’t be there all the time. Also, her dad had agreed to let her help in Metropolis, as long as she knew what she was doing. So, she sought the help from the Fortress’ AI, so she could learn everything she could about herself and her powers, even when he wasn’t around.

Her training with the Fortress' simulator was doing very well so far, and then the lights went off for two seconds before coming back. She frowned deeply, kicking the false-enemy that was still coming at her in the simulation.

“Stop simulation.” She said loudly. “Kelex, what was that?”

“Searching,” said the AI voice.

After a whole minute, the AI answered. “It appears Earth has suffered from a magic spell, Lady Kara.”

“What kind of spell, Kelex?” Claire asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s not clear, and it is ancient. My database has no reference for it.”

Claire sighed.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to get out and find out myself.”

“Isn’t it dangerous, Lady Kara? Your father would prefer for you to stay out of danger zones.”

“I know, Kelex.” She said while she went to the zeta-tube. “But I’m a superhero-in-training now. I need to see, and maybe help in what I can. Take care of the Fortress.”

“As you wish, lady El.”

“See you later.”

And then she beamed herself back to Metropolis.

~.~

Metropolis was in complete chaos. There were children and teenagers everywhere, wandering the streets. Some were crying, some were confused, and the few that had older brothers clung to them like lifelines.

She had an idea of what happened, but she needed to be sure.

First, she called her father. It said ‘number doesn’t exist, try again.’ She sighed and dialed Conner, knowing he would probably have a better idea of it.

It rang. Three, four times, before he finally answered.

“ _Claire?_ ”

“Hey, thank God it’s you.”

“ _I can say the same. Where are you? You okay?_ ”

“I just got back to Metropolis. I’m fine, I was in the Fortress. Where are you?”

“ _The cave. We’re trying to figure out what happened, exactly. Zatanna says magic, but doesn’t know yet which kind.”_

“That’s what Kelex said to me.”

“ _Who’s Kelex?_ ”

“The Fortress’ AI.” She answered, feeling a little bad because their dad hadn’t introduced the Fortress to Conner yet. “So, no adults there either?”

“ _None._ ”

She sighed. “Can I help you guys in anything?”

Conner was silent for a few seconds.

“ _I don’t think so. Keep in touch. I know dad let you be Supergirl in Metropolis, but the Team and the League don’t know about you yet, so…”_

“You don’t want to spoil anything, got it.” She sighed again.

“ _But if we do need you, I’ll call or send a text. Keep your phone charged and close._ ”

She smiled.

“I will. I’ll try to help the children and teens around here, have them stay calm until you guys figure out what to do. I hate being useless.”

“ _Okay, do that. As soon as we know something, I’ll tell you…”_

She heard from the other side of the phone while someone – a girl – asked: “ _Who you’re talking to?”_

“ _A friend of mine. She’s terrified, her parents are gone, too.”_

“Good save.” She mumbled.

He sighed. “ _I need to go. I’ll call you as soon as I can._ ”

“Okay. Be careful, Kon.”

“ _You too, Kara._ ”

And then the phone was dead.

~.~

She didn’t need to make any speeches. The Team set up a worldwide transmission, and Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin made sure to everyone on Earth they were trying to fix everything. Meanwhile, they asked to the older teens to take care of the younger people, to stand together.

Claire went to their school. She saw a lot of people going there, to the big sports court, and she went with them. Some seniors had organized a few support groups, to help with the small children and look for anyone who needed help.

She saw Kyle and Lena and went over to them.

“Claire!” Kyle greeted her, relieved. “Your dad vanished, too?”

“Yeah… I saw the transmission and decided to come here.”

“And where’s Conner?” asked Lena.

“He went to see his girlfriend. She was having a minor panic attack.” She diverted easily.

Sometimes, she hated how easy it was to lie to her best friends. They didn’t even doubt her. They nodded easily, and showed her what she could do to help. Basically, it was staying with the small kids. Claire liked kids, but after a while she felt she could be doing more. She noticed the small groups of teens coming back with more kids, with blankets, food, everything to keep the children entertained while the problem was solved.

It was then she realized she could do more. Steeling herself, she grabbed Lena’s arm and told her urgently:

“I need to see Conner, something’s happened.”

“Do you need anyone to go with you?” she asked, eyes worried.

“I don’t think so. I’ll call if I do.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

“For you too, Lena.”

She got out of the school as fast as she could without attracting to much attention, and when the street emptied a little, she ran.

She hopped the stairs of the apartment building they lived in two at a time, really frustrated superspeed hadn’t developed yet. As soon as she was inside their home, she redressed. Her outfit wasn’t ready, so she went a little like her brother. A pair of dark jeans, bright red combat boots she bought to tease her dad and had never used, and a classic _Superman_ t-shirt. She put her hair in a ponytail, dropped her glasses and completed her outfit with a dark-red leather jacket.

Supergirl would have to fly without a cape today (not that she could _actually_ fly, but she could go close).

~.~

At first, people didn’t believe her to be a kryptonian. But then she would grab car doors and get people out of debris they had managed to get in, using her super-strength in full view of anyone, and then they believed her.

She jumped the fast and highest she could to go from one place to another, helping those in need and gathering small children close, bringing them to other schools and places that were serving as support.

People gaped at her, surprise and awe in their eyes, and she would just smile at them and go to find others.

The streaming of the Team kept looping into every electronic device and tv channel, and she kept looking at her phone waiting for something from Conner.

The phone stayed silent, and she kept helping where she could.

When asked, all she said was that she was Supergirl, getting out of the place as fast as she could.

And for the first time in a long time, she finally felt _complete_.

~.~

She knew everything came back to normal immediately. The Earth gave a little shake, almost imperceptible to humans; lights went off and on; and then adults were _everywhere._

She was in the middle of helping a little girl calm down in front of her house, all alone, when suddenly the girl’s parents were screaming and the girl was rapidly grabbed by them. There were tears and smiles, and Claire knew she wasn’t needed there anymore.

She went off, making sure people find their children, making sure everyone was okay. In the chaos post-crisis, no one really took the time to gawk at her, only giving her minor looks, and very few looking twice. Some thanked her, and she just smiled at them, happy to help.

She went to overlook things at her school one more time, before going home to wait for her dad and brother. She helped some parents find their children, avoided her friends (who were looking at her in wonder from afar), when she heard.

“Kara!”

The voice boomed around the sports court, and most people turned to look. _Everyone_ knew that voice.

It was Superman. In all his red and blue glory, looking at _her_.

She took a deep breath, ready to defend herself. The deal was the she was going to make her debut with him by her side, so there wouldn’t be any doubts of who she was. She knew it was high, the possibility of him not liking the fact she went out _alone_.

She didn’t had the time to say anything, because in a blur, Superman hugged her fiercely, kissing her temple while holding her tight.

“Thank Rao you’re okay.”

She sighed in relief and held him just as tight, tears threatening to spill.

“Sorry I went out alone.” She whispered.

“Shh… It’s okay, sweetheart.”

She heard the whispers, people recognizing a father hugging his daughter, and the surprise it brought to everyone.

“Dad… we’re making a scene.”

He laughed a little and let her go. And then, loud enough so people around could hear it, he said, bright with proud:

“Let’s go home, Supergirl.”

She smiled, just as bright as him, as both of them took the skies.


	17. Aftermath

 

When they were finally home, Conner was waiting for them in the living room, the giant wolf that was his pet by his side.

“Claire!” He went to hug her, just as fiercely as her father had moments ago. When he let her go, he smiled. “Liked the outfit.”

She laughed. “Well, my uniform is not ready yet, so I decided to borrow your idea for one.”

“You’re making a uniform?” her dad asked, already in civil clothes, closing the curtains of the veranda.

“Of course! Kelex is helping me out.” She said.

Clark shook his head in amusement.

“Sorry for not telling anything to you,” Conner started. “it became a real mess with Captain Marvel and everything… I kind of forgot.”

“It’s okay.” She replied. “I think it was better for me staying here. I helped quite a lot here, too.”

“That you did.” Their father kissed her temple again. “And I’m just glad it’s over. You have no idea how worried I was with you two.”

He hugged them both, closely, and they basked in the moment, all three of them together, like a family.

And then the phone started to ring. Clark gave them one more kiss to the temple each, and went to pick it.

“Hello?”

“ _Clark? Honey, is everything alright?_ ” Said Martha Kent, and Clark could just _see_ the frown of worry on his face.

“Hey Ma. Everything’s okay now, don’t worry. We’re all home.”

“ _Thank God. What happened?”_

Clark started to explain the magic and what happened after – even telling Ma how Bruce was absolutely _crazy_ with worry for Dick, which was always cute to watch – all the while he watched his sons talking quietly to each other.

Wolf was by Conner’s side, already done with smelling Claire. He couldn’t say no when Conner asked if he could bring him to the apartment that night – only that night. Claire petted Wolf’s fur, and the spark in her eyes could not be denied.

Eventually, he said goodbye to his mother – after letting her talk on speaker to her grandchildren – and sent his twins to change while he occupied himself in cooking, trying to gain some normalcy to the end of his day.

He had to.

He knew, deep in his bones, that Claire’s debut as Supergirl would make his life a lot more difficult starting the next day, so he needed the hours of normalcy he had.

~.~

He was right, of course. All the way to the Daily Planet, the only thing he heard people whispering was Superman’s apparent daughter, who had appeared in Metropolis during the crisis of the week. He was already nursing a small headache only in thinking what would be inside the newsroom, and that was without thinking of the League, who would probably have a meeting soon – Batman was clear to them yesterday, they had a lot to discuss.

As soon as he entered the newsroom, he thought he was in hell. Perry was barking orders all over the place, people running from left to right to catch up all the details they could about what happened. They hadn’t seen Supergirl in action, being in the ‘adult world’; but there were enough blurry and almost distinct photos of her in the web, posted by the lucky teens with smartphones and time to register.

He was kind of proud of Claire for not giving them enough time for good pictures, really.

He got to his desk right on time to hear Lois whine.

“I just _can’t believe_ he wouldn’t tell me that! It must be a mistake!”

He looked at his side to see Lois on her desk, looking through all the photos of Supergirl from yesterday, looking crestfallen and like she didn’t had any minute of sleep.

She was whining to no one in particular, so Clark decided to let himself be known.

“Hey Lo. What’s wrong?”

That was the obviously wrong thing to say, because Lois looked at him even more crestfallen, looking like she was about to cry.

“What do you _mean_? Everything’s wrong! Superman has a daughter and _he didn’t tell me_!”

Clark fought the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t polite.

“Hey, I’m sure he has his reasons. And… is it really his daughter?”

“Afraid so. There’s a picture of them at a school sports court, _hugging_ , and he looked pretty relieved to see her. Here.”

She turned the computer monitor to him, and he saw she was right. He hadn’t thought at the moment that someone could take pictures of them like that, and honestly, he didn’t care. All he cared that time was that his daughter – his world, his everything – was safe. And the photo showed that, every ounce of relief that he felt when he hugged her. It was actually a very good picture. He would have to frame it somewhere.

“Well…” he cleared his throat. “It looks like father and daughter to me.”

Lois sighed, clearly defeated, by what Clark had yet to know.

“Yeah. It looks like it. How about yours?”

“They’re fine, thank God. I was about to go mad yesterday, when everything came back to normal.”

At least he wasn’t lying about that.

“I keep forgetting you have twins now. Like, I was used to hearing about Claire, and now you have a boy her age, too.”

“Yeah…” he cleared his throat again. “It’s weird for me too, but I’m getting used to it.”

“Is he doing okay too? Conner?”

He thought about how his son had helped defeat Klarion and his partners and smiled.

“He’s doing great.”

With that, she smiled and returned to her computer.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of it. Lois went to interview a few people about the incident, and Clark eventually had to leave as Superman to save someone. The moment Superman showed his colors, people started to ask him questions. Questions he didn’t answer, not yet. He knew _someone_ who would love an exclusive, and his daughter deserved to be properly introduced to the world.

~.~

Superman wasn’t the only one receiving questions about Claire. School had declared a day off so the children could stay home with their parents, so Conner was in the Cave with Wolf… being interrogated by his teammates, with the exception of Robin, who was in Gotham.

“I mean, I had no idea!” Wally was saying. “But then I got home and there were pictures all over the web about her! Is she really Superman’s daughter?”

Well, Conner was lucky they had talked about that the day before, or he would’ve run in fear for his life if he didn’t answer their questions.

“Yeah, she is.” He said, petting Wolf by his side. “She’s really cool.”

“What’s her name?” M’gann asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Huh, her kryptonian name is Kara. I’m not sure if I can tell you guys her human name, sorry.”

“That’s okay. Wow, a _daughter_! How did Superman hide this all this time?!” said Artemis.

“I’m actually curious,” said Zatanna, talking for the first time since he arrived, her eyes still sad for her dad. “ _why_ he didn’t tell anyone in the League about her.”

“I think Batman and Wonder Woman know.” Conner shrugged. “He’s overprotective about her. She didn’t want to be a superhero until a few months ago, so that helped.”

“And now? Does she want?” asked M’gann.

“Yeah. And I think she’ll be wonderful.”

“Maybe she could come to the Team!” said M’gann, excited about the idea.

“Maybe.” He agreed.

“You could bring her here, you know.” Said Wally, his eyes full of mirth. “Introduce her to us.”

“Stop being a jerk, Wally.” Said Artemis. “You only want to flirt with her.”

Conner laughed.

“I think Superman’s going to bring her soon, Wally.” He said, because they did talk about that the day before, too.

“Well, I bet she’s hot.” He said.

“Yep, she’s gorgeous.” Said Robin, out of nowhere, scaring the hell out of everyone in the room.

“DUDE!” Wally shouted. “STOP THAT!”

“What?” he replied, innocent. “You guys didn’t hear the zetas?”

“No… You sneaky bastard.” Said Artemis.

Robin shrugged. “Not my fault.”

“Okay, okay… You were saying Supergirl was hot.” Of course Wally wouldn’t forget the subject.

“I said she’s gorgeous.” He corrected.

“Same thing, really, but… How do you know?”

“Because I know her. We used to train together right when I started. Bats thought it would be a nice thing for me to train with her, since she was super strong, but not Superman-strong yet. She’s great.”

And just like that, the interrogation went from Conner to Robin, who smirked and gave them all half-truths e gloated about how _he_ was friends with Kara. Conner only laughed.

~.~

Kyle and Lena were in love with Supergirl. Claire couldn’t stop giggling about that.

“I mean, _Supergirl!_ She’s my new favorite hero!” Lena was saying, while the three of them walked around the mall, since they didn’t have any classes that day.

“You don’t even know if she’s nice.” Claire said.

“She’s _Superman’s daughter_ , Claire,” Kyle replied. “She’s definitely nice.”

She just rolled her eyes and let them talk, hearing their awe for _her_ , making her feel really light and happy.

At least people were reacting positively to her. She was kind of relieved, actually. The only downside was lying to her best friends. She hoped that, one day, she could tell them the truth about herself. But she knew it didn’t depend on her alone. She had a secret that involved her whole family, and she had to be careful about everything she did or say now, twice as much careful.

The aftermath of her appearing out of nowhere to help was good so far for most people, but she had a lot to do yet. And, she knew, the path to becoming Supergirl for real wasn’t going to be easy.

But now, she was finally ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> League reactions will be on the next chapter. :) Hopefully soon.

**Author's Note:**

> So, thoughts? Don't forget to tell me if I made any mistakes, so I can fix them and improve my english and writing. :)  
> Thanks for reading!


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